Illusion Of Sin
by YoungStarsOwner
Summary: Rory Summers spent her entire life living a lie and she never knew it when she does the harder she trys to discover the truth the more danger she put herself and those around her in. UPDATE Rory makes a shocking discovery-SVJIWillWeissSark
1. Part One: Crossing The Line

Illusion of Sin

Life was twisted in such an ordained manner that she could no longer tell you what was real or illusion. She couldn't tell you the difference between black and white, love and hate, good and evil. When the line dividing right from wrong is shattered, the consequences come with out warning. And with nothing left and no one left who speaks the truth, there's only one thing she can do. Revenge is all that keeps her breathing. Only one choice left now: Fight back or allow the lies to kill her soul.

Part One  
Crossing The Line

Memories are like the ocean on a calm spring day. They wash over you at unexpected times leaving a small path in their wake. Sometimes they are gentle treasures that bring a smile to your lips and other times they are so harsh you would do anything to forget.

She remembers being four years old and in all her childhood innocence asking her Daddy, why all the other kids in her pre-school class had Mommies, but she didn't.  
  
She remembers being five years old and coming home from afternoon kindergarten crying. Through hiccuped gasping sobs she'd eventually told her father why. All the other girls mommies braided their pigtails, but her mommy couldn't. She didn't have one and Daddy doing it just wasn't the same. It made her different from other kids and she didn't like it.  
  
She remembers being six years old and refusing to go to school. She kicked and screamed until finally she'd told her pleading father why. It was Mommy day at school. All the other kids' moms were coming to spend the day with them at school. She was the only one in her class who was left out. It hurt to be different and at six years old, that was the last time she'd cried over it. It hurt too much to see the sadness in her father's eyes.  
  
She never had a mother. Growing up her father never married, nor had any serious relationships. He raised his daughter by himself, but the lack of female influence upon her was not lost. Occasionally she had wondered if her father was even interested in the opposite sex. But in the same instance, she would remember all the times he'd said how much he loved her mother. He didn't talk about her often, but when he did his eyes lit up, replacing the sadness the thought of her mother usually brought.  
  
As she sat on the cold damp ground, she couldn't help but wonder if the lies had begun when she was four. When her persistent questions about her mother, had forced her father to finally abandon his longtime story of the stork dropping her on his doorstep. He'd told her the truth, her mother died several months after she was born. She'd like to believe that was when they started did. She'd like to have believed that all the lies and half truths that followed, were only a product of her desire for knowledge, but if she did- she'd have been believing a lie. She could no longer allow her desire for closure to outweigh the truth. The truth was that the lies began the moment she was born and were solidified the moment she had spoken her first word, Daddy.  
  
She was vaguely aware of Zack's nervous chatter in her ear and it pulled her mind out of the past. He was trying to keep her calm and keep her mind off the upcoming meeting by talking about the Kings' latest hockey game win, but really she knew it was also a tactic to ward off his own feelings of uneasiness. Zackary Weiss was risking everything to help her. She'd never had a more loyal friend than he. The feelings of guilt consumed her knowing that he was risking not only his life, but also his career, his future, and reputation, but she was also grateful, knowing that she could not do it alone. He was just simply put, a good man.  
  
She tried to tune Zack out. Tried to concentrate on the simple act of breathing, but it wasn't easy. The image of her father flashed through her mind. She had his eyes. Her father always told her how much her mother loved the ocean and her eyes reminded him of the ocean, and in turn reminded him of her mother. She had her fathers eyes, but she was every bit her mothers daughter.  
  
She's only ever had one real picture of her mother. She took it out of her pocket and unfolded it. It was an old photograph, creased from being folded so many times. She knew she shouldn't have brought it on the operation, but it was impossible to leave behind. The stakes were too high. She needed her mother with her on this one. Examining it carefully she ran her fingers over the worn edges. It was of her mother and father, taken when both were in their late twenties. They were at a party, their arms around each other and they looked so happy. Even though the picture was nearly twenty years old and the image worn and faded, her mother's eyes still seemed to sparkle as if knowing a secret she would not share.  
  
She kissed her index finger and gently pressed it against the picture before reluctantly it was folded back up and placed into her pocket. Concentration was necessary. She needed to get her head in the game. Agonizing over what never could have been would not do anyone any good. Her contact assured her that her mark was to be meeting an unknown associate at exactly 3 AM. It was almost 3AM. She adjusted her wig slightly, glad she chosen the dark red one with bangs to conceal her identity if caught.  
  
Zack informed her of an approaching car and she quickly checked her gun and then set the camera into position. Her left hand immediately sought the gold cross hidden beneath her black sweater and wove the chain between her fingers. It was the only thing of real value that she had of her mothers and it left her neck only when she was on operations. She brought it to her lips, kissing the cross briefly, before tucking it back under her top. The floor of the old warehouse was cold and damp and it only added to the chill she felt as a car drove in. She'd picked a good hiding spot behind some crates, in the shadows, which obscured her presence from any other person in the warehouse.  
  
The man stayed in his car and she aimed the camera, but the tinted windows prevent any visibility. A few minutes passed and Zack alerted her to the presence of another vehicle.  
  
With building anticipation she swallowed hard and trembling hands aimed the camera. Zack's voice was reassuring in her ear. He was set up in the next warehouse over and he was her only back up. The operation was not sanctioned by the CIA. Though he was her only backup, she had warned him that he was not to leave his post to assist her. This operation was personal for her and she would not put him in any more danger than she already had. Her mark needed to be punished and through him she was determined to find the sole person responsible for her mothers death.  
  
Her mark stepped out of his car first, accompanied by three guards. He was dressed in a crisp, dark, designer suit, with dark glasses and the way he carried himself implied a high level of authority. He stood at the front of his car, flanked by two guards. All three men were armed, but with their guns in their holsters. The third guard stood off to the right, gun drawn in case something went wrong. She had three guns, extra ammo and two knives. Even with that amount of protection, she was clearly out numbered.  
  
As the engine of the second car was cut, Zack told her to calm down. Her heart rate was erratic, and the blood rushed in her ears, but his words were lost. They sounded hollow and far away as if lost on the winds of a blustery day. All of her concentration was on the scene in front of her. It took every ounce of will power she had left to prevent herself from shooting her mark in retribution for everything he has done. All the harm he had caused. If she had done it, she'd have never make it out alive, and any hope of extracting information from him regarding the whereabouts of the individual she sought would be lost.

She'd never considered herself a vengeful person. Growing up her father had instilled in her passiveness and forgiveness to be a very powerful tool. She was ashamed to admit that forgiveness was the last thing on her mind and that frightened her. She hoped that some day her father could forgive her.  
  
The door of the second car opened and her mark stepped forward extending his hand to the occupant inside. Long legs encased in stockings and black high-heeled shoes slipped out. To her, the world seemed to progress in slow motion as the woman came into view. Long slender legs, a deep blue skirt and jacket. Long dark hair with a sweeping of silver elegantly woven through the strands. The woman stood reigning authority over the other man and an innocent bystander might have thought her to be royalty. The two obviously knew each other well and their guards stood back allowing them to speak freely. The man retrieved an envelope containing photographs from the breast pocket of his suit and showed them to the woman.  
  
She felt numb. She hadn't expected this. It was supposed to be simple reconnaissance, when had everything getting so screwed up.  
  
They moved and she shifted her position slightly in an attempt to get a better angle; bad move. Her leg was asleep and she fell forward. The camera broke as it dropped from her hand and her forehead smashed into the concrete. Putting her hands out in front of her she braced her weight and lifted her upper body off the ground. She couldn't go far as the pressure of a gun against the back of her skull stilled her.  
  
Hands grabbed at her, twisted her arms behind her back and pulled her to her feet. The pain in her head was excruciating and the world seemed to dance in front of her. Zack's voice rang in her ears. 'Stay silent if you're okay. Cough once if you've been captured.' She coughed. Mentally she was screaming at him, telling him to get out, to leave her; to do what she told him and she prayed he would.  
  
As she was pulled to her feet, her pockets were cleared any weapons and she blinked her eyes rapidly in an attempt to clear her line of vision. Two guards pushed her towards their employer and the woman. They all had their guns drawn aimed at her. She was vaguely aware of the blood dripping down her forehead, cheek and chin, but she no longer felt pain as she looked at them.  
  
Their expressions were cold and stoic, and she looked at them hard, defiance etched in every inch of her being.  
  
"Who do you work for?" Her mark stepped forward. His voice was low as he cocked his head to one side, his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"Go to hell." Her voice was a similar contrast, deep and husky She spat at him, the bit of spit landing on his polished black leather shoe. He looked down at it and then raised an eyebrow. He turned back to the woman and they spoke quietly for a moment.  
  
"She's CIA," one of the guards interrupted and handed him one of her guns after recognizing that it was CIA issued. "What would you like us to do with her Mr. Sark?"  
  
Sark walked towards her, his arms still crossed in front of his chest. "Now why would the CIA be interested in me?" he shrugged nonchalantly and one hand reached up to scratch his clean- jaw. He looked her up and down. "Obviously gone rogue, lack of backup, lack of equipment I mean really it's almost humorous. What is your name?"  
  
"What do you care." She rolled her eyes and decided to give him a bone to play with. "Susie-Q"  
  
"Apparently you fail to understand the seriousness of your situation, Miss. Susie-Q." Sark emphasized the use of her name. He stood only inches from her, his right hand rubbing his neck and cheek in a repetitive manner. "A young CIA Agent stakes out my meeting, in my warehouse, without any apparent back up and expects to get away with it." He held up his hands in pure disbelief of the situation.  
  
"You think quite highly of yourself," she scoffed.  
  
"Do you know who I am?"  
  
She didn't answer, but it was very clear to him that she knew exactly who he was. He turned his back on her and walked away, his steps echoed on the cement floor. He looked back momentarily. "Put her in the car," he ordered his men.  
  
"Sark no!"  
  
Her eyes flashed to the woman as she stepped into view and Sark looked to her curious as to the reason for her interruption. The woman had been silent until now, standing back and allowing Sark to deal with the intruder. The woman now approached her, the heels of her shoes clicking methodically on the concrete floor. The agent tried to pull away but the guard only twisted her arms tighter. It hurt, but she could not let the pain show. She would not give them the satisfaction. Their eyes met and the woman tucked a lock of hair behind her left ear before extending a long finger. The agent watched as the finger travelled up the front of her sweater and touched the gold cross. It must have come loose in the struggle. Their eyes met once more; cold dark and icy blue. Her voice was low and Sark had to step forward to hear.  
  
"My mother gave this to me when I was born," she lifted the cross with her finger, allowing it to rest in the palm of her hand. "I gave it to my daughter when she was born and-" The woman's fingers suddenly abandoned the cross and tugged the red wig from the agents head. Long dark hair spilled around her shoulders and the resemblance between the two women was clear. "Aurora Francine Summers, what are you doing here?" Her voice was cold lacking any warmth that she might feel.  
  
"And then she gave it to me," her voice trembled as she finished the story and her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't keep them from spilling down her cheeks, but she didn't care. "Hello Irina."  
  
"You shouldn't be here Rory." Irina shook her head as she spoke, as if scolding a young child, not a grown woman.  
  
"What do you care," Rory looked up, her eyes met Sark's and suddenly he waved off the guards and she was released. Surprised she rubbed her aching arms and her gaze reverted back to the woman in front of her.  
  
"You are Sydney's daughter-"  
  
"Don't speak her name," Rory held up a hand in front of the woman. "Don't you dare speak her name. You have no right-"  
  
"I have every right! I am her mother-"  
  
"You killed her!" Rory shouted no longer trying to keep her composure. Her eyes were filled with the pain and anguish of loving a woman she'd never known and then loosing her, severing any chance they could have ever had to meet. "How could you do it? How could you kill your own daughter?"  
  
"You don't know what you're talking about young lady-"  
  
"Don't patronize me," Rory laughed bitterly. "You're a lunatic who murdered her own child."  
  
Rory's words were answered with a sharp slap across her cheek. The crack echoed throughout the near empty warehouse. She swallowed hard tasting the blood in the corner of her mouth. Silently she looked up at Irina.  
  
Irina took a handkerchief from Sark's outstretched hand and gently dabbed at Rory's split lip. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I did not want to hurt you."  
  
"You don't care who you hurt." Rory glanced at Sark briefly before turning her gaze back to Irina.  
  
"That's not true-"  
  
"You killed my mother." Rory said simply unable to emphasize her point any further.  
  
"No, I didn't," Irina shook her head and used the handkerchief to dry the tears from her granddaughter's cheek, before dabbing once more at her lip. "Ask yourself Aurora, how could I harm the one thing that I love most in this world." Irina pocketed the handkerchief and once more wiped Rory's cheeks with her thumb. She smoothed her granddaughter's hair and tucked it behind her ear. "I love your mother sweetheart. She is my world, just as you are hers."  
  
"But the pictures…the video, I saw what you did?" Rory looked up at Irina, pain and confusion etched across her face and for the first time she saw the tears in her grandmother's eyes. "You pointed a gun at her back and pulled the trigger."  
  
"It was a ruse." Sark's voice seemed to come out of nowhere as he stepped towards the women.  
  
"What?" She took a step back. He was a little too close for comfort.  
  
"It was imperative that everyone believed Sydney was gone," Irina explained gently taking Rory's hand in her own. "Those closest to her, even you."  
  
"I-I don't understand."  
  
"Your mother is alive Aurora," Sark took another step towards her and this time she could not move. "But her situation is precarious and she needs your help."  
  
Rory's eyes shifted between the two people standing in front of her. She was confused. Part of her was hopeful and the other part dared to believe it the truth. She couldn't breath, everything seemed to be closing in around her as she looked at the photographs and she began to believe. Aurora Summers was about to be thrust into a world more dangerous than she could have ever anticipated.  
  
Her eyes connected with Sark's as he explained their actions and the reasoning for his participation. She stood frozen allowing him to explain without interruption and when he removed his dark sunglasses, she felt as if she were looking into a mirror.  
  
She didn't have time to react to his words. Out of the corner of her eye she suddenly saw Zack, his arm raised and pointing a gun at Sark. The guards saw him at the same time and a scream of terror escaped her throat as they fired. She tried to run to him but Sark grabbed her by the waist. He covered her body with his and pulled her to the ground, out of the line of fire. She landed hard on her shoulder, heard the snap as the bone broke and saw Zack go down. Sark tried to hold her back but she kicked him away crawling on her hands and knees towards the fallen agent.  
  
"Zack, Zack please, please," Rory half begged and cried as she reached him. He was still alive, but with two bullet holes in his chest. "What were you doing? I told you to leave. Why didn't you listen Zack? Why weren't you wearing your vest? Please be okay," she sobbed. "Just hang on." Her hands fumbled in his pockets searching for a cell phone. She found one in a cargo pocket and began to dial but Sark grabbed it away from her.  
  
"What are you doing?" she screamed trying to grab it back. "He's still alive, he has a chance. Please," she begged. "He's a good man. His name is Zackary Weiss. He's only twenty five years old." she wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her wrist and only succeeded in leaving a trail of blood across her face. "He has a family. I care about him. Please just give him a chance." Ignoring the searing pain in her arm, her hands covered the two holes in his chest, putting pressure on them trying to slow the bleeding. "Please Zack," she begged kissing his cheek. "Please just hang on for me."  
  
"Sark," Irina walked over to them and took the cell phone, handing it to Rory along with a blanket and first aid kit she'd pulled from the car trunk. "We'll be gone, before they get here."  
  
Sark backed away and began ordering his and Irina's men about. They got in their cars and Sark and his men left immediately while Irina's waited for her.

Irina knelt beside Rory and helped her position the blanket over Zack and press gauze bandages to his wounds. Rory began dialing the CIA emergency number on the cell phone.  
  
"Agent Weiss?" Irina questioned fingering the CIA ID card she'd retrieved from his pocket.  
  
"Yeah," Rory nodded. "You shot his father remember?"  
  
She didn't wait for an answer and Irina didn't bother explaining that it had been an accident, and she hadn't actually shot Eric Weiss per say.  
  
Rory's trembling hand held the phone against her ear. "This is Agent Summers. Code name: White Rabbit. ID 6692-3259743. Confirmation: Mad Hatter. I need immediate medical assistance I have an officer down. My location is Warehouse four, sector 7, Pier 47, Los Angeles. Agent Weiss ID 5521-5632155 is down with two gunshot wounds to the upper chest. Our location is secure send immediate medical assistance." Rory pulled Zack's head into her lap and tried to wipe some blood from his hairline. She only succeeded in making it worse as her hands were covered in his blood. Her efforts to stop crying were futile as her tears mixed with the blood staining her face. "Get out before I change my mind," she shouted and Irina straightened and walked away.  
  
"Your mother needs your help." Irina turned back and planted a kiss on the top of Rory's head. "We'll be in touch," she whispered in her ear and with a final glance at Agent Weiss she got into her car and peeled out of the warehouse after Sark.  
  
Rory kissed Zack's cheek once more and did her best to cover his wounds with one good hand. "I told you to stay away," she sobbed. "Why didn't you listen, you stupid, stupid man."  
  
Zack's eyes fluttered open. "I had to do something," he whispered through gurgled breaths. "I couldn't let them hurt you."  
  
"God, Zack," She pressed her lips to his forehead.  
  
"You need to find her Rory. You need to find your mother." Zack closed his eyes. "I've got one for ya," he smiled slightly opening them again. "Victory belongs to those who believe in it the most and believe in it the longest."  
  
Rory forced a smile. "That's an easy one, Col. Doolittle, Pearl Harbor, 2001."  
  
Zack smiled back, "just keeping you on your toes. That's you Ror, you're victory" He began coughing up blood and Rory turned his head to the side so he wouldn't choke on it. "There's something you need to know, if I don't make it-" he whispered.  
  
"Don't talk like that," Rory shook her head. "You're going to be fine. Besides if you're gone, who am I going to watch spy movies with and agonize over their unrealistic plots?"  
  
"I love you," he whispered seriously through choked breaths.  
  
"Zack you-"  
  
"I love you," he repeated his dark eyes large as he struggled to continue breathing. "I know what I'm saying Ror, I need you to know that."  
  
"I understand," she nodded threading her fingers through his hair. "You're going to be okay, you have to be okay." Leaning over she pressed her lips to his and using all the strength he had left Zack kissed her back.  
  
Reluctantly Rory pulled away and kissed his nose. She watched as his eyes closed and he lost consciousness.  
  
"Zack, please hang on. Don't leave me. Not like this Zack please not like this."  
  
  
  
The shot of morphine she'd been given been dulled any pain she might have felt and with her broken wrist wrapped and plastered and a bullet graze in her arm stitched up, Rory sat on the pew in the small chapel, unsure of what she was really doing there. Up until an hour ago, the lines between good and evil had been so clear and concise. But now with the realization that her mother was alive, and out there somewhere in the vast world, those same lines seemed blurred, gray and out of focus. She'd allowed the enemy to escape, and here she sat talking to God while her best friend lay near death  
  
Since her mother's supposed death, twenty years earlier, both Sark and Irina Derevko had lain low, emerging every once in a while for something minor. Both individuals were still wanted by the CIA and in a selfish decision she'd had allowed them to escape. Rory knew she could have pulled Zack's gun and shot both of them before they'd have had time to react. It would have been for the greater good. Two less bad guys walking around free in this world. But that would have been the end of her life as well as Zack's, and the end of any chance of finding her mother. She kept repeating Sark's words over and over again in her mind. "It was all a ruse, your mother is alive." They just seemed too good to be true and she wouldn't have dared to believe it so, were it not for the photographs. They were the tangible evidence of her mother's existence.  
  
Since she'd transferred to LA, Rory's life had spiraled out of control. Zack had been her grounding point and now everything was so inconsequential as he lay on an operating table fighting for his life. She slipped the gold cross over her head and fingered the chain, allowing it to thread between her fingers. She had exactly three things of value from her mother. A photograph, a Third Edition Alice in Wonderland and the gold cross. The necklace meant the most. She'd had it since she was born and for the longest time, it was all she had. She pressed her lips to it in silent prayer and fell to her knees, ignoring the aching jolt in her arm.  
  
"Please fight Zack," she whispered. "I can't do this without you." She looked down at her hands still stained with his blood and figured the rest of her must be the same. She felt sick to her stomach looking at the dried blood under her fingernails. There had been so much blood; so much she wondered if he even had any left inside him. "Dear God, please let him live. Please don't take him from me. Give him the strength to fight."  
  
She slipped the necklace back on and fisted the pendant. Her eyes looked up to the large wooden cross at the center of the front wall and whispered a promise. "I'll find you mom. Wherever you are, I'll find you." And as she'd done so many times before, she asked her mother for strength and guidance.  
  
"Agent Summers?" a male voice called to her from the doorway of the chapel bringing her out of her daze.  
  
"Yes?" Rory quickly wiped her eyes gaining composure before she turned to look at the Agent.  
  
"Director Dixon, Agent Weiss, Agent Bristow, and your father are here. They're asking for you."  
  
"Thank you," Rory stood and held her head high as she soundlessly walked with the security agent down the hallway ignoring the stares of curious onlookers.  
  
She was quite the sight. Barefoot, tangled dark hair, red swollen eyes, a split lip, and two large bruises forming on her cheekbone and forehead were only the beginning. The sleeve of her shirt had been torn off at the shoulder and her arm was wrapped in thick gauze and plaster. The blood had seeped through her black sweater and when the doctors cut it off, her white t-shirt was stained red. Blood was already beginning to seep through the bandage on her arm, and it still remained partially on her face and hands.  
  
Her arm in a sling, she walked quickly down the corridors. Instantly spotting Eric Weiss' worried face and she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. She was the cause for his anguish. She had put his son's life in danger. She ignored Director Dixon's questions and walked straight to her father and grandfather who were deep in conversation.  
  
"You lied to me," she accused them not even taking a second glance at their shocked faces. "Mom's alive, I have proof, you lied to me, and now I know the truth." Rory shouted the words not even caring who heard. She wanted so desperately to force as much pain onto them as she was feeling. Tears fell freely down her cheeks and to look at her, she was that of a broken woman. A broken woman so far damaged, one could wonder if there was even a chance for repair. Rory threw the pictures at them. Jack tried to catch them, but he was far too surprised and the photographs, stained with the blood of Zackary Weiss spilled onto tiled floor. Jack bent and picked one up; holding it between his fingertips his eyes met hers.  
  
Rory's gaze reverted back and forth between her father and grandfather. She watched as her father, numbly took the photograph from Jack's hand, his mouth open in surprise and the color drained from his face. That was when it hit her and she realized the truth. "You didn't know Mom was alive," she whispered her voice broken off by a sob. She turned to Jack. "But you did."  
  
Her tearful blue eyes were filled with the hurt and anguish only betrayal could bring and as Jack looked into them he was reminded of his own daughter 25 years earlier. The wild terrified look in her eyes and the blood from her fiancée that covered her body, face, and hands. The betrayal, she'd felt when he'd told her the truth about SD-6. Betrayal was such a common theme for their family. "Aurora-"  
  
"Don't you Aurora me." She spat the words from the tip of her tongue as if they were distasteful and bitter. "How could you do it Grandfather? How could you keep that from me? She's my mother. She's the only thing I've ever wanted in this world and you kept her from me."  
  
"Sweetheart, it's going to be okay," her father finally spoke his words pulling her away from the anger she felt. "We'll find her, I promise you." He spoke numbly. His words seemed hollow and insincere as if he didn't really believe them himself. He was cut short as a doctor in hospital scrubs exited the operating room. "Stay here," he ordered her and she obeyed standing next to her grandfather as they watched the doctor speak with Eric. Her father stood beside his friend, a hand on his shoulder offering any emotional support he could give as the fate of Eric's son was revealed.  
  
"This isn't as clear cut as you may think," Jack said softly staring straight ahead. "There are circumstances that you can not even begin to understand-"  
  
"And the cost?" she couldn't even look at him. "Was it worth it? Was it high enough? How can I believe anything you say to me ever again."  
  
"She is not the woman you want to know. This was done for your protection-"  
  
"That was my decision to make. Mine. Not yours. Your words are nothing to me."  
  
Rory stood unmoving as her father turned back to her. He took several steps and then stopped, looking as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.  
  
"What is it?" she asked fearfully. "Is Zack going to be okay?"  
  
He opened his mouth but no words came out and all he could do was hold open his arms. She flew into them, whispers of questions that went unanswered. Jonah Summers, better known as Will Tippin, could do nothing, but hold her in his arms and thank God that his daughter safe. She might never be able to trust him again after what he had to tell her, but she was alive and that was all that mattered. His daughter meant more to him than life itself. He would die for her.

TBC…

A/N

Hope you liked it. Don't worry if you were a little confused it will all make sense, eventually! I have no idea how frequent the updates will be for this story so if you liked it and want to continue reading, e-mail me at to ask for a PM when I update or just leave your e-mail address in a feedback post and I'll send you an e-mail if you want.


	2. Part Two: Field Of Innocence

Illusion of Sin  
A/N yes this next chapter backtracks, don't be confused! Also I rewrote history a little so that Weiss' son Zack would have been born sometime during season one or just before it.

Illusion Of Sin  
Chapter 1 Recap

Rory stood unmoving as her father turned back to her. He took several steps and then stopped, looking as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.  
  
"What is it?" she asked fearfully. "Is Zack going to be okay?"  
  
He opened his mouth but no words came out and all he could do was hold open his arms. She flew into them, whispers of questions that went unanswered. Jonah Summers, better known as Will Tippin, could do nothing, but hold her in his arms and thank God that his daughter safe. She might never be able to trust him again after what he had to tell her, but she was alive and that was all that mattered. His daughter meant more to him than life itself. He would die for her.

Illusion of Sin

Part Two  
Field of Innocence

One year earlier

Rory Summers balanced the cordless phone between her ear and shoulder with practiced ease as she began unloading a box of books into the built in wall shelving. "Dad, I know you wanted to be here, but I couldn't wait the apartment opened up and it's right on the beach. I love it. Yes I can afford it, no I don't need any money I'm doing fine."

"I still don't see why you had to transfer, and so quickly." Her father's voice was stubborn on the other end of the phone.

"Face it Dad, you're just upset because you hate LA and your little girl moved even farther away from you, and you couldn't help her move." Rory flopped down on the only available chair and kicked her shoes off sending them flying into the wall. "It's a wonderful opportunity for me dad. At this publishing company I can actually make decisions as opposed to just shuffling papers around like I did in Nevada."

"What about school?"

"Daddy, we've been over this six billion times. In the fall I'll start distance studies from UCLA. I can work at my own pace, do more courses in a shorter time span and it will mesh so much better with my work schedule."

"I just don't want this job affecting your education."

"You know more than anyone how much I want to be a high school teacher. I am not about to let my job with the publishing company stand in the way of that goal." Her voice was firm giving no further room for argument. "I'm okay, I promise."

"I know sweetheart," her father sighed heavily. "I just want you to do better than your old man."

"Dad, you did great, so what if you didn't have a university education. You raised me the best you could and you are a wonderful father. Mom would be proud"

"And you are too kind," her father laughed lightly. "I hope she would be."

"I know she would be. Will it make you feel better if I told you that I miss you terribly?" Rory said sweetly.

"Maybe just a little," her father admitted.

"Good, because I do, and I have to go, I have a meeting at work. I'll call you tomorrow okay?"

"Alright, bye sweetheart."

"Bye Daddy."

Rory hung up the phone and checked her watch. She had thirty minutes before she had to leave. Just enough time for a quick shower. Glancing around the room her heart fell. She'd moved the day before and still she had yet to unpack the majority of her stuff. Boxes were stacked all over the room and she couldn't find a thing she was looking for. Walking over she spotted the shoes she'd kicked off before and found a box she'd been looking for all morning. Opening it carefully she removed a framed 4x6 photograph. It was of her mother and father. The only photograph she had of her mother.

Carrying it into her bedroom, she sat on her bed and studied the photograph. It wasn't by any means the best photograph, but it was a copy of the only one she had and the most treasured possession she owned. She traced the outline of her mother's face and hair smiling as she touched her dimples and wide smile. Wiping a tear away with her knuckle, she swallowed the lump in her throat and set the photograph on her bedside table. Time for her first day of work.

Rory sat on the leather chair glancing around the well-furnished office. After passing through all the security measures she'd been led to the directors office where she had been waiting for the past forty-five minutes. As the door opened she stood and turned.

"Agent Summers I presume." A tall dark skinned man with graying hair entered carrying a handful of files that threatened to spill onto the floor.

Rory caught a handful with ease as they slipped from his grasp. "Yes, she nodded and handed them back to her superior.

The man dumped them on his desk and turned to face her. Perching on the edge of his desk he extended his hand and she shook it. "Director Dixon," he introduced himself. "Have a seat," he motioned to the chair and picked through the mass of files on his desk for hers. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," Dixon apologized. "We just got a major breakthrough on a case we've been working on for about six months and things are a little chaotic to say the least. Which is why I'm happy you're here. This case deals with a lot of coding and linguistics, your area of specialty so you'll be right to work in no time."

"Sounds exciting," she said truthfully.

"Well you might regret saying that," he laughed and opened her file. "Well Agent Summers I am very impressed with your history. Graduating at the top of your class, nothing but impressive remarks from your superiors. Nevada was sorry to loose you and we are happy to have you here, I'm sure you'll fit right in."

"Thank you Sir."

"Now I know you've read and signed about 800 non disclosure forms yesterday but for my own knowledge, what is it that your friends and family think you do?"

"It's just my dad and I," Rory explained. "He thinks I work for the Klarix Publishing Company and that I was just transferred from the Nevada to the LA Branch."

"Lying to those you love is not easy," Dixon sympathized and Rory nodded in agreement. "But you understand how important anonymity is, particularly with this office. The work you will be doing here is much more complex and dangerous than working as an analyst in Nevada."

"Field work is what I want," she nodded confidently.

"We're lucky to have you." Dixon stood and opened his office door gesturing to her to follow.

"Thank you Sir." Rory followed him into the rotunda, which was a bustle of activity. She surveyed the scene before her, breathing deeply, excited and nervous at the same time. This is what she'd been waiting for, for the last two years. A chance to be where the action was. No more pushing papers and analyzing reports like she did at the office in Nevada. This was where the real work was.

"This is Agent Weiss." Dixon introduced her to a man around her age. He'll show you around and get you started. If you need anything, just ask."

"Thank you Sir." Rory shook his hand and turned to the other agent.

"Call me Zack please. Agent Weiss sounds like my father." He stood with a grin and extended his hand.

"Rory."  
  
"Interesting name," he commented stepping out from behind his desk.

"It's short for Aurora," she explained quickly shaking his hand. Both looked down as their hands lingered for a moment before parting. She looked up taking in his appearance. He stood taller than she did by three or four inches with thick dark hair and light hazel eyes that she couldn't seem took look away from. He had a nice smile with slight dimples that showed and he seemed to be a genuinely nice person. She had a hard time deciding if the butterflies in her stomach were from nervousness or the fact that he was extremely good looking.

Zack was fully aware of how much longer than necessary he'd held on to her hand and he didn't think she minded in the least. The first thing he noticed was her eyes. They were this brilliant shade of blue. They were captivating and he had a hard time looking away. "It's nice to meet you," he said finally. His lips broke into a smile as she blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear, her nose wrinkling slightly. It was cute. She wasn't wearing a ring. Not that he'd expected her to. She seemed young, his age or a year or two younger.

"I'll show you around." Placing a hand on the small of her back, Zack led Rory to the middle of the rotunda. "Welcome to the JTF." He watched her, bringing a smile to his lips as she slowly turned round in a circle taking it all in, excitement dancing in her eyes. He leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear. "It can be heaven or hell, depending on how you look at it.

"I'll have to take your word on that." She laughed again and turned to face him. It was at that moment that Zackary Weiss quickly realized how difficult it was going to be, not to fall in love with her.

The weeks passed by quickly for Rory. Director Dixon had been right. She was immediately put to work and it seemed the lengthy coded files, full of different languages would never end. Her desk sat opposite Zack's and in many ways he was her saving grace. Or her saving sanity might be a better term. If not for him, she'd have probably run from the building screaming after her first week on the job. She hadn't however and Zack did everything he could to make her feel welcome. She didn't make friends easily and her new job was of no exception.

In school she'd skipped several grades already creating herself an outcast by sheer age in High School. She wasn't loud or perky nor did she fit any of the regular school stereotypes. Growing up she'd have rather run a five-mile jog than go to a football game and scream her lungs out.

Zack seemed to understand this and didn't take offense when she refused his invitations to join himself and others for lunch. Instead he would invite her out again the next day, just the two of them or when work didn't permit they'd eat at her desk pouring over the latest Intel together.

Rory Summers was unique.

She could speak more languages than he could keep track of. She bit her lip when she was nervous or self-conscious. She wore glasses for reading and chewed on the lids of her pens. When she was angry she would lapse into French. Russian if she was annoyed. Spanish if she was frustrated. And Italian if she was upset. She preferred burgers to salads hands down and wasn't afraid to get a little dirty. She loved reading murder mysteries but she also loved the classics, and always had a soft spot in her heart for Alice in Wonderland. They had a lot in common including their enjoyment of films, especially the classics and old black and whites. Every day he seemed to discover something new about her.

It was at the beginning of her second month at the JTF when things began to change. She was assigned fieldwork and with that a partner, ten years her senior named Byron Richards. She also performed many solo assignments and for that Zack was appointed her handler.

He was her handler and she was his asset.

He speced out the missions. He went over the details with her. She carried them out.

There was nothing more than that.

There could never be anything more than that.

He was her handler and nothing more.

If she was nothing more, then why did she haunt his dreams at night?

He had a recurring nightmare every time she went on a mission. It was based on the result of a previous one. Two months into their handler/asset relationship she went solo on a simple operation.

It was supposed to be a simple mission but she was captured. They lost communications. It was two days before any information was recovered. An extraction team was arraigned and she was found. A little battered and worse for wear but she was alive. It was the first time since he'd become her handler that he hugged her. With two black eyes, bruised ribs, a split lip, and a sprained wrist she stepped off the helicopter and had gone straight to him. She was quiet and he held her squeezing tight until she whimpered in pain. He pulled away and checked her over quickly promptly declaring that she needed medical attention. She refused wanting only to go home and go to bed. Debrief could wait until the following morning. He relented and drove her home.

After dropping her off at home he'd gone to his apartment. The sleeplessness of the last two days caught up to him and he was out cold in no time. An hour later the phone rang. He answered to dead silence. He was about to hang up when she whispered his name. It felt like his heart stopped until she said it again, this time a little louder and clearer than the first. It took a lot of coaxing to get her to even say another word.

He knew there was something wrong the moment she'd stepped off the helo. There was something in her eyes that her capture aside, told him something was very wrong. He arraigned to meet her on the pier. She didn't even hear him approach.

"Rory?" He touched her bare shoulder and she near jumped three feet in the air.

He saw the absolute look of terror in her eyes and the tears on her cheeks. It was worse than he thought.

She was crying. Aurora Summers was the strongest woman he had ever met. It wasn't that he didn't think she could cry, but for the first time he felt like he was seeing the true her. He'd never seen her lose even the slightest bit of control. He'd never seen her cry.

She was the epitome of what every good agent should be. Smart, resourceful, adventurous, clear headed, caring, in control. She was everything. But now, he was seeing her for the person she really was. A woman, who despite all her remarkable strengths, was also incredibly vulnerable.

"Rory, what happened?"

She tried to say his name. She couldn't. She couldn't even look at him.

He took her arm forcing her to turn away from the midnight ocean. Without the railing to hold on to, she couldn't stand and he grabbed her as her knees buckled, going down with her.

"Please tell me." He begged her quickly checking her body for any physical ailments other than the ones he already knew about. He could find none. No gunshot or knife wounds. No broken bones or burns. Nothing that could physically explain her change in behavior or the significant amount of pain she appeared to be in.

He held her. There was nothing more he could do. Kneeling on the old wood of the pier he cradled her body against his and allowed her to cry into his chest. He rubbed her back lightly in small circles, stroked her silky dark hair, rubbed her arms and whispered anything he could think of. Anything to calm her down and momentarily take her mind off what ever pained her. He told her everything would be all right. Promised to help her and together they would fix what ever was wrong. He ran out of things to tell her and so he told her of his childhood.

In quiet whispers he told her how his father would take him to the beach when he was a child. They'd build sandcastles too close to the shoreline knowing full well the tide would wash them away. His father was always busy with work but whenever it was a trip to the beach he knew that the day would be uninterrupted. That was what made it so special. It wasn't about the sandcastles or playing in the water. It wasn't about watching the sunset or building a fire and roasting marshmallows. It was that for that one day to his father, Zack was the only person who mattered and watching the tide wash their castles away just seemed right.

He told her about his first hockey practice and his first game. He thought he even heard a small laugh come from deep within her when he told her about the first and only time he'd been suspended from hockey for a seemingly innocent practical joke the night before a big away game. He told her stories about his first two wheeler bike, how he'd broken his wrist when he was nine attempting to climb up the side of his house and even the first yo-yo his father had ever given him.

His words became few and far between. She was calmer now, but still gasped for breaths and hiccuped as she choked back a sob. He sat on the pier holding her until her eyes dried and her breathing regulated. Neither spoke. A thousand thoughts were going through Zack's mind. A hundred questions he wanted to ask but didn't. She didn't need that now. She needed to feel safe and secure and realize that whatever demons haunted her she could fight.

Slowly Rory regained control and pulled away from him. "You must think I'm some kind of a crazy person calling you up in the middle of the night." She smiled apologetically and stood wiping the residual tears from her cheeks. She shivered slightly from the night air and leaned against the rail overlooking the water. She was dressed in a pair of grey cotton pants and a light blue spaghetti strap tank top.

"Actually I'm glad you called me. I want to help if I can." Zack stood and slipped off the long sleeved shirt he'd hastily thrown over his undershirt as he'd left his apartment. He draped it over her shoulders noting the burn mark near her shoulder blade from a stun gun and the dark bruises and scrapes on her back and arms. "Rory, can you tell me what happened?" he asked quietly as she slipped her arms through the sleeves of his shirt.

"I don't know," she whispered stretching her arms over the rail as if trying to fly.

"Rory, as your handler, I need to know what happened in Peru. If those circumstances will affect future performances, your safety or your work with the agency, I need to know-"

"Why are you always so business," she sighed propping her chin up in her palm. "Why can't we just be friends."

Zack leaned over the rail slightly so that he could see her face. "I'm not asking just as your handler Rory- I'm asking as your friend too. I thought we were friends."

"We're not friends Zack." She gave a light laugh and turned to face him. "We work together. We're colleagues. That's all we are."

"Well apparently I misunderstood our relationship because in addition to working together I was under the impression that we were friends-"

"No. We work together; we'll never really be friends. Not really."

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way." Zack was indeed sorry. He had honestly felt that they were friends. "That aside, as your handler, I still need to know what happened in Peru."

Rory nodded. She opened her mouth to tell him but no words came out. "I don't know if I can," she whispered.

"You can," he said confidently a hand on her shoulder squeezing it lightly. "Just start at the beginning."

"I-I can't do it." Rory turned and ran from the pier down onto the sandy beach below. Zack chased her and caught up with her near the shoreline. He walked beside her in silence an arm resting casually on the small of her back hoping that the light touch would prevent her from bolting again.

"Rory, I know you're scared," he said softly, his gaze cast at the miles of endless sandy beach ahead. "I think that something horrible happened in Peru." He took a deep breath and grasped her hand forcing her to stop and turn to look at him. "I wonder if maybe someone hurt you. If… maybe they did something to you that is difficult to talk about."

Rory looked down at their clasped hands. She knew she should pull away, it wasn't right, but she couldn't. Their hands seemed to be molded together. His eyes were dark and full of a concern that could only be described as pain. She almost wished she could allow him to believe that she had been harmed in that manner, then he wouldn't know the truth. He'd never learn the truth about what she'd done. She couldn't do it. She couldn't lie to him.

"It's not what you're thinking. No one hurt me like that." His grip on her hand lessened a little and she felt his relief.

"Then what?" Zack's hands came up to her face and brushed a wayward tear from her cheek with his thumb. He titled her head up to look him in the eye. "You were captured and interrogated, I know that much, but there is something else. Why are you so scared? Why are you in so much pain? Tell me." He released her hand and brought it up moving her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. "Please Aurora." He cupped her face in his hands and waited.

Rory closed her eyes; fresh tears appeared on her cheeks. Inside her head, her thoughts were screaming but her lips couldn't form the words to tell him what had happened. "There was so much blood." Her words were soft and her voice quivered slightly. "I never knew that someone could bleed that much." She opened her eyes looking into his. Her voice trembled as she told him what she'd done. "Zack, I killed a man."

She was trying to be strong, he knew it. But he also wanted her to know that she didn't have to be. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her. It all made sense now.

"I took his life," After a few minutes Rory pulled away from him and wiped her cheeks. "He came out of nowhere and he had his gun pointed at me. Everything was crazy. There were alarms and guards chasing me. The codes wouldn't work and he was shooting at me and I shot him. Then they caught me." Her hand shook as wiped furiously at her cheeks. "I never shot anyone before Zack and I killed him."

"Rory, I know this won't make you feel any better, but you were just doing your job." Zack put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "I won't lie by saying that I know what you're going through. I've never been in that position, but I do know that you did what you had to do to survive and that doesn't make you any less of a good person."

"It doesn't make it any easier," she shook her head sadly. "He had a family, maybe even children. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost my dad. He means everything to me."

Zack nodded understanding completely. Rory had once confessed to him that her father was her best friend and often her only friend. Growing up hadn't been easy for her. Her mother had died when she was a baby and they moved frequently due to her father's work, usually not staying in the same state for more than two years. That made it quite difficult to forge friendships. Zack could understand and sympathize with her. Growing up his father was always busy with work, going away on many business trips so it was often just him and his mother. When he was twelve, his mother died of cancer and his father gave up the travel lifestyle of the CIA. They were all each other had and the closest of friends.

"You may not think we're friends, but I'll always be here for you Rory." Zack crossed his arms over his chest. "You have my number, whatever you need, when ever you need it. Just call. This stays between you and I, unless it affects your safety or work performance." He paused for a moment to consider his next choice of words. "That said, I will make a request that you see Dr. Barnett. However, if you do not I will have to order you to do so. There are things that you need to talk about and Barnett is good."

Rory nodded appreciative of the fact that he was keeping this between the two of them even if the trade off was having to see a shrink. "I'll make an appointment tomorrow."

"Good." The two turned around and began walking back towards the pier. "I just don't understand what went wrong, why those security codes failed." Zack had gone over every possible outcome when he'd designed the operation to obtain old KGB documents from a hidden safe in an underground club in Peru. All of his secondary safeguards had been overridden. Rory was destined to fail the moment she entered the club.

"They knew I was there," Rory said softly.

"What?" Zack stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her.

"They were waiting for me. That's why the whole operation went to hell." Rory's eyes were burning with anger. "Zack they knew I was coming."

"But how is that possible-" he asked himself not wanting to say the answer out loud.

"They were waiting for me. Zack, I was set up. That was the other thing I needed to tell you. That was why I wanted debrief postponed until tomorrow."

"You're saying-"

"Yes." She nodded firmly. "Zack they knew my name. Someone in the CIA told Andrei Slother everything. When I was coming, where I would be and what I was after."  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked in disbelief.

"Zack, he knew my father's name."

"Alright." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he analyzed the situation. He took a pen from his pocket and wrote an address on her hand. "Meet me here tomorrow at 7 AM. It's an old warehouse. It's secure. There's someone I want to talk to about this before we tell Dixon."

Rory nodded. They reached her car and she opened the door. "Thank you for coming and talking with me. I didn't realize that it would be so hard. This isn't like me. I don't just call strange men up in the middle of the night and cry on their shoulder."

Zack waited until she'd closed the car door before speaking. "You have my number. You can always call me Rory, no matter what. I'm here for you. I'll be wherever you need. But call Barnett tomorrow."

"I will," she nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Drive safe." Zack waved her off and waited until her car was out of sight before he collapsed into the driver's seat of his own. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed a familiar number.

"Hey Uncle Mike, it's Zack… Sorry for calling so late… I need to see you, it's important. Can you meet me at the warehouse tomorrow morning at 7… alright see you then."

He sat in his car for several minutes deep in thought before starting the engine and beginning the drive home. There was a mole within the CIA and he'd gotten his information directly from Zack. Rory nearly lost her life and it would have been his fault.


	3. Part Three: Past Crashes Into Present Or...

Illusion Of Sin

Part Three: Past Crashes Into Present, Or Does It?

He hadn't been able to sleep for the remainder of the night. Every time he closed his eyes images of what could have happened to Rory on that mission flashed through Zack's mind. Forgoing sleep for the night he sat down at his desk with a pad of paper and began making notes. He examined the mission from all angles, going through every step of pre-planning. Analyzing every choice made and making notes on anyone who had access to the information. Rory had been compromised and he had to find out how the information had been leaked.

He arrived at the warehouse well before the scheduled time. His father had given him the address several months before, when he'd left to work for a term at Langley. All he'd said was that it was a safe place to meet. This was the first time Zack was using it. He was a little hesitant about withholding the information Rory had provided from Director Dixon; but he also felt better discussing it with Uncle Mike first. He heard a door slam and stepped out of the chain link box. It was Rory.

"Interesting place," she commented looking around the enclosure.

"My uncle used to use it years ago for something," he said with a shrug. "All I know is that it's secure."

"Dixon called and told me to come in at lunch for debrief," she explained gesturing to her casual attire, consisting of blue jeans, glasses, a sleeveless black top, baseball hat and her hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Good," he nodded and opened a metal chair for her to sit on. "How are you feeling?" he asked watching as she slowly eased herself down on the hard chair.

"Alright… sore," she admitted mindful of her aching ribs.

"No bruises?"  
  
"You'd be surprised at what a pound of concealer can accomplish," she added with a knowing smile. "Look Zack, I'm not so sure about this. Maybe I should just talk to Dixon, tell him what happened right away."

"No." He shook his head firmly leaving no room for further argument. "If there is a mole in the agency, than everyone is a suspect. Anyone from the analysts to tech ops to secretaries and security guards. We need to keep this quiet until we have a plan."

Rory grimaced slightly as she shifted her aching body and leaned forward in the chair. "I know you're right," she said. "I'm just not at ease with keeping this a secret."

"It won't be for long," he assured her. "We might even tell him today, but I need an objective opinion from someone with experience before we make a move. You're not in this alone," he added.

"I kno-"

"Zack?" a voice interrupted her mid sentence as a man stepped inside the chain link box.

Zack jumped up to introduce the two and Rory slowly followed suit. "Rory this is my Uncle Mike—uh Agent Vaughn," he corrected himself. "Agent Vaughn, Agent Summers."

"Nice to meet you."

Rory extended her hand to him but Vaughn didn't budge.

Vaughn couldn't move. He seemed to be rooted to the spot where he stood since the moment he set eyes on her. Her eyes, which were barely visible below the brim of her hat, were a startling clear blue, captivating a pretty face with high cheekbones and a light brush of freckles dancing across her nose. It was at that instant that he saw her, at that point, in that very place that held such important memories for him, that he didn't see her at all. The memories overpowered him and all he could see was Sydney. Brown eyes replaced blue. A slightly darker complexion replaced pale, but the dimples remained.

He could still see Sydney standing by the door, verbally outlining her orders from SD-6 and sitting on a chair as she chewed her pen lid while reviewing her CIA counter mission. He could almost hear her voice, smell her perfume and see her in his mind as if she stood right in front of him. The visions were more than painful.

"Agent Vaughn, are you alright?" Rory asked apprehensively and lowered her hand with a quick glance at Zack.

Her words barely registered in his mind. He felt numb and unable to grasp hold of anything concrete as his past crashed into the future at such an alarming rate that he could not decipher what was real and what was not.

"Uncle Mike?"

The presence of another voice in the enclosure pulled Vaughn from the reverie, forcing him to focus on reality. Sydney was dead. She had been for over twenty years. Returning to their warehouse for the first time in over fifteen years had spiralled the whirlwind of emotions that he was feeling out of control. They shrouded his judgement and impaired all aspects of his senses into believing something that just wasn't there.

"I'm fine." The words didn't seem to come from him, yet they spewed from his lips without thought or care. He moved to the table, set his briefcase down and took several deep breaths before turning to face the two younger agents. "Agent Summers?" he held out his hand and tentatively she reached for it shaking it firmly. "My apologies. You have a slight resemblance to someone I used to know."

"Oh, don't worry about it," she said with a light laugh. She was relieved that that had caused his odd reaction towards her. She'd feared it was something much worse. "I get that all the time. I guess I just have one of those faces." She added with a nervous smile as she remembered who Agent Vaughn was. She'd heard his name mentioned around the office numerous times. It appeared the senior officer was quite a legend. Most recently he, along with Zack's father and several others, had been heading up a special project and introducing it to Langley. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She looked down at their still joined hands. His grip was painfully obvious. Plastering a smile on her face she slowly wiggled her fingers and then managed to pull out of his tight grasp. Her hand moved behind her back flexing her fingers to allow the circulation to return.

Vaughn watched her pull her hand from his as if it was happening in slow motion. Part of him wanted to cling to this girl and to the memories she'd stirred inside him. He stopped himself from looking at her; he needed to regain control of the situation.

"Zack, how are you?" he turned to his best friend's son and forwent the usual handshake in exchange for a brief hug. It had been 5 months since he'd last seen his godson.

Zack hugged him back, still perplexed as to Vaughn's unusual reaction towards Rory. He pushed it to the back of his mind, though. Now was not the time. "Great," he replied. "Any news on when my dad is coming back?"

Vaughn shook his head. "We hit a few snags and this project is taking longer than we anticipated. Marshall will be back in a few weeks and I expect it will be some more time before your father returns."

Zack nodded. His father had created the project in question. His father, along with Vaughn and Marshall had been sent to Langley to supervise the implementation.

"Over all it's going very well, we're seeing significant results already."

"Good." Zack motioned to the chairs and the three sat down.

"What's up?" he asked seeing the nervous look on the girl's face. He watched as she stood and paced the cement ground. The rubber soles of her shoes scuffed against the concrete with each painful step she took. Zack took a quick glance at her as well before beginning the story.

Vaughn sat back in his chair allowing everything to sink in. "You acted correctly by coming to me first," he said after a few moments of silence. "I understand that by doing so you are breaking protocol, but I have experience with this type of thing. I want to check out a few ideas before you tell Dixon." Vaughn made a few notations on a notepad before turning to face Rory who had finally sat back down. "You're positive about everything that happened?"

"Absolutely," she nodded. "Someone informed Andrei Slother that I was going to be there, there is no other explanation."

The rather anxious looking face told Vaughn there was something more. "What else?" he pressed her.

Rory fiddled with the ring on her right hand and took several deep breaths before looking up at their expectant faces. She opened her mouth to speak, but all words were lost in the process and her gaze reverted back to her lap.

"Aurora?"

Zack called her name. Rarely ever did he use her full name. Only when he demanded her attention. Looking closely he saw the slight tremor in her hand and the fear that her eyes held. "Agent Summers, what didn't you tell me?"

He wouldn't understand why she hadn't told him. Keeping it from him had given her control over the life that was slowly slipping from her fingers. It had given her control over the fear that suffocated her. The fear was not for herself, but for others.

Vaughn's voice broke through the thick layer of silence. "Agent Summers, I can not help you, if you are not truthful with me."

"When I told you that he knew that my father's name is Joe, that was the truth," she said honestly. "But he also knew other things…" Her voice trailed off into silence as she stood and turned away.

Zack stood to go to her but Vaughn held up his hand silently telling him to sit back down. "What other things?"

"I like coffee ice cream," she began softly. "I can't stand to eat fish. I had a goldfish that died two weeks ago. I sometimes talk in my sleep. I haven't finished unpacking from my move four months ago." Her voice trembled slightly as she continued but she remained in control of her emotions. "My mother died when I was a baby. I'm really close with my father. Growing up, I moved about every two years, sometimes more. My water heater is on the fritz and sometimes I have to hit it with a pipe to get it to work properly. I jog two miles every morning. He knows what I wear to bed, right down to the pattern on the pants. I have a bubble bath every night and I have a birthmark-" Her voice broke off midsentence. No one needed to hear the rest of it, in order to know that her privacy had been invaded. She turned to the two men looking as calm and cool as ever.

"He also mentioned two more names. My handler was a junior agent – Zackary Weiss and also a woman's name I didn't recognize. Alison Reeves."

Vaughn had been taking notes during her speech and as she sat down he stole a glance at Zack's shocked face. It was clear she'd told him nothing of this. His gaze travelled to Rory who was doing her best to appear normal and not admit to the fear that clung to her every breath. She seemed so strong. So in control of everything despite the major upheaval that surrounded her present life. She reminded him so much of- Stop, he ordered himself.

"Agent Vaughn, should I be worried for my father's safety? He doesn't know what I do." Her face was stoic but her eyes told volumes.

Vaughn shook his head. "I don't believe so, at least not yet. Slother is testing you with mind games. He wants you to be vulnerable. He wants you off guard. He wants you to know that he's watching. Clearly some of the things you mentioned could possibly have been obtained visually." He shuddered slightly at the thought. Rory Summers might be new to the field, but she certainly wasn't stupid. Whoever had been watching her had done a good job. "Obviously you cannot return home, either of you." His comment had caught Zack off guard, who'd been quiet until then.

"What?"

"I'm placing you both in a safehouse under 24 hour surveillance. At least until we determine the source of the leak. You both will report to work as scheduled. The last thing we need is for the source to think we've identified him or her."

"I can't imagine who is doing this. I've only been here for four months, I couldn't possibly have any enemies."

Vaughn stood a slight smile playing on his lips. "Agent Summers, you may have only been working at the JTF for four months but during that time I have been stationed at Langley and believe me when I say that you have built up quite a reputation for yourself." He held back a laugh at the surprised look on her face. "I do believe the words, 'Hot shot Rory gets it done Summers,' come to mind in description of your repeated successful missions. I believe you've had more than enough time to gain a few enemies."

Had Rory not been wearing layers of concealer to cover the bruises on her face, he would have seen her blush a crimson red. Praise like that was not something she was used to, particularly from a Senior Agent. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it quickly as no words came.

Vaughn stood. "Both of you, go home, pack your bags and then report to the office. I'll have instructions for you both by noon."

"Yes, Sir."

Zack stood and shook Vaughn's hand. "Thanks Uncle Mike."

Vaughn smiled at his godson before leaving the enclosure and walking to his car at a brisk pace. After getting in his car he finally allowed himself to let out the deep breath he'd been holding. His hand shook as he attempted to insert the key into the slot and start the car. Unsuccessful he angrily tossed them onto the passenger side floor. His hands clenched the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white and only then did he allow himself to let go and his thoughts returned to Agent Aurora Summers.

After hearing her speak, he'd remembered why her name had sounded so familiar. He'd heard it mentioned at Langley numerous times. She was a young up and coming hot shot agent. She'd been desk-trained as an analyst at the office in Reno, Nevada. A year after her recruitment, she successfully became a field agent and transferred to LA. She'd easily garnered herself a good reputation and earned the respect of her colleagues by being a meticulous, hard working and effective agent. She was daring, a risk taker and always got the job done without breaking her cover. Given that she was a soft spoken and quiet person, most agents were surprised when they saw her in action finding it hard to believe that she was a thrill-seeking daredevil. Before leaving Langley the day before he'd heard talk that Agent Summers had finally gone too far and somehow had been caught. Naturally they didn't know the full story as he now did; Agent Summers had been set up.

His breath caught in his throat remembering the fear in her eyes when she asked about her father. She was in a dangerous position caught between two forces with no idea who her attacker was. She was also very naïve. She reminded him-. Damnit! Why today of all days had Zack summoned him to the very place he wanted to forget? The warehouse held painful memories for him. It was the last place he'd ever seen Sydney alive.

It was twenty-one years to the day that she died. Already it was turning into a nightmare. He reached across the seat and retrieved his car keys from the floor. Starting the engine, he drove to the parking lot exit and chose left instead of right. Right led to the office. Left led to Jack Bristow. Whether Vaughn wanted to or not, he knew Jack was the only person to be trusted when Zack's safety came in question.

Zack was like a son to him and he'd never forgive himself if anything happened.

Rory closed her suitcase with a heavy sigh and glanced around at the sparsely decorated white walled bedroom, which was to be her new home for an undetermined length of time. Hers and Zack's. Apparently the CIA had never thought to invest in an interior decorator.

Following her meeting with Zack and Agent Vaughn, she'd followed his orders, returned home and packed her suitcase before returning to the office. The rest of the day was a whirlwind of chaos. She and Zack had both managed to avoid Dixon until Agent Vaughn had shown up at lunch and it was then that they'd told Dixon the truth. They spent the majority of the afternoon in his office devising a plan to determine the extent of the damage. There was a leak in the CIA. Someone who was intent on allowing Andrei Slother to destroy or to possibly take Rory's life.

The entire situation scared her and that wasn't easy to admit to. Her privacy had been invaded. Her daily activities recorded and that information given to a German arms dealer by the name of Andrei Slother. She felt invaded, dirty and her stomach churned at the thought of knowing that the SOB bastard had somehow seen her.

She had to get clean.

She had to rid herself of the filth.

Clutching her stomach as the thoughts overwhelmed her, Rory ran to the adjoining bathroom and fell to her knees in front of the toilet. She purged the contents of her stomach until there was nothing more but the burning in her throat. She held onto the wall for support as she stood.

The shower faucets were stiff, having not been used for so long. After she'd managed to pry them into use, a new bar of soap was retrieved from the cabinet and she stepped into the hot water. It scalded her skin but she didn't seem to notice. She didn't seem to feel the heat as the bathroom filled with hot steam and clouded the mirror. All she could think of was trying to get clean.

She scrubbed at her skin, hoping that by some miracle she might manage to peel away a layer and be left refreshed. It would have been a miracle, not that she counted on any.

The tips of her fingers touched the small teardrop birthmark on her left breast. Touching it made real tears mix with scorching water. During the past four months that she'd been a field agent, Rory had done her fair share of undercover operations. Many of these resulted in having to wear outfits she'd never have even considered for herself. Her father would have been mortified to know she'd even looked at them. Dressed in them she was Monique, Angela, Tessa or some other alias, but never herself. She'd never felt degraded in them. All she was in them, was an actress playing a part. They weren't her and she had no reason to feel ashamed.

Never, until now, had she felt degraded as herself, as Rory. She'd always worked very hard to keep her work and private lives separate. Aliases were always just that. Women who didn't really exist. They didn't follow her home and invade her thoughts as she tried to sleep at night. The thought that someone may have observed the most private routines of her daily life made her feel worthless and no matter how hard she scrubbed her skin, she could not feel clean.

She scrubbed her skin until it was red and raw and the hot water had long since turned to ice. She took her time blow drying her hair and dressing in comfortable sweats and a University of Reno sweatshirt. Despite the fact that it was the middle of an unusually warm spring Rory felt cold and numb. Chills ran through her body and she couldn't seem to get warm.

She could smell dinner from her room. Zack had knocked on her door ten minutes before telling her it was there. The aroma wafted throughout the bungalow, attacking her sense of smell until her stomach growled with hunger. She was hesitant to leave the room. It was just her and Zack in the small house and that in itself was proving to be an odd situation.

The house was under 24-hour surveillance outside, but inside the cameras had been turned off to at least give the two the illusion of freedom. They would continue to work as usual. Each morning they would be driven to the office in an armoured van, but that was the only trip outside that they would be allowed. Everything including groceries and supplies were to be brought in by security guards. They were preventative measures. No one was entirely positive at the moment if either she or Zack were in any real danger. Only time and information, she hoped, would quell those fears and both could return to their normal lives. Well as normal as they could get.

Deciding she could no longer prolong the inevitable, she left the safety of her bedroom.

Zack was talking to Agent Vaughn in the living room. Seeing her, Vaughn stood to go but not before handing Zack a file folder. Rory was curious as to what it contained but she didn't have the chance to ask. Immediately Zack slipped it in his briefcase and turned to face her. "Hungry?"

She nodded silently and followed him into the kitchen. "You cooked?" she was surprised looking at the disarray of the sterile kitchen.

"I cooked," he said with an amused smile and retrieved two plates he'd kept warm in the oven.

Rory sat down at the table and eyed her plate hungrily. She wasn't much of a cook and living alone, her nights usually consisted of TV dinners or takeout. It had been so long since she'd had a real dinner.

She took a tentative bite of the chicken and pasta laced with garlic and alfredo sauce. It was good. It was actually really, really good.

Zack watched with mild amusement as she took her first taste. He knew that she would assume he'd ordered in, but while she'd taken a forty-minute shower he'd whipped up an easy, but delicious dinner. He smiled, watching her take an even bigger bite. She had to be starving, neither of them had found the time for lunch that day.

This certainly was a side of her that he hadn't seen before. He couldn't understand why she wasn't overheated in sweat pants and a sweatshirt, but dressed in them she appeared to be completely comfortable. He was used to seeing her at work- at the office, or on a mission in a disguise but never relaxed in sweatpants and socks.

"This is really good, you're an excellent cook," she praised him taking a sip of the red wine he'd found hidden away in one of the cupboards.

"Thanks." He took a sip of his own wine before continuing. "My dad made sure when I was growing up that cooking was the one thing I knew how to do. Screw laundry. Every Sunday we'd cook dinner together. He makes a wicked pizza from scratch."

"What about your mom?" she asked realizing that she really knew nothing of this man named Zackary Weiss.

"It was just me and my dad," he explained. "Mom split when I was two. Dad was always there, except when he wasn't," he added with a laugh. "I can't tell you how often I would wake up in the morning in someone else's house, or going there in the middle of the night and not remembering. My Uncle Mike, Marshall and Carrie's, Mike's sister, Dixon's daughter Robin, was my babysitter for years and some of my dad's other friends from work. They all pretty much raised me when my dad couldn't." A grin traced his lips. "Up until I was five or six, my dad would often have just brought me to work with him if he had to go in, in the middle of the night."

Rory had to hold back a laugh at the conjured image of a four-year-old pyjama clad Zack walking around the JTF holding his teddy bear and blanket. "That must have been difficult though, the instability."

"It was," he agreed. "Sometimes it was kinda cool, but mostly I really hated my dad for it. We never had the easiest relationship. It wasn't until I was older that I really understood how important his job was to him. It wasn't the work, but what it meant to him and to me. Now I'm doing what he did. We get along better now than ever. No secrets." Zack took a bite of his pasta. "You're close with your dad right?"

Rory nodded. "My dad is, I guess, what you'd call a free spirit. We moved around a lot, never staying in the same city for more than two years. I hated it growing up but I understand now. He wanted me to experience life. It was difficult to make friends but I doubt I'd be the person I am today if not for it."

They ate in silence for a few minutes longer before Rory set her fork down and asked him point blank. "What was in that file Agent Vaughn gave you?"

"You cut right to the chase don't you," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Zack-"

"Alright." He stood and retrieved the file from his briefcase placing it on the table. "It's the results from the analysis they did on your apartment." Rory's hand immediately went to pick the file up, but Zack covered her hand with his preventing her from grasping the pages. "The results were conclusive, there were cameras and bugs all over your apartment. They knocked out any bug killers you had in place."

She paled slightly. "Everywhere?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry. They were obviously planted after you moved in and analysis managed to trace the receiver to a computer located in an abandoned warehouse in Watts. They got all the information but they don't have any leads on who did it yet."

"I don't understand." She whispered. "How could I have not known."

"They were well hidden," Zack explained. "It took the guys hours to find them all. They're not even sure if they're all gone." He removed his hand from hers and stood. "I'll give you some privacy. I'll be watching TV if you need anything." He refilled his wineglass and squeezed her shoulder gently as he passed by.

Rory pushed her plate aside, no longer hungry as a sickening feeling invaded her stomach. She topped off her glass of wine and took several sips while she stared at the unopened file marked Agent Aurora F. Summers. She wished that the floor would just open up and swallow her whole, and then this whole nightmare would be over.

Prolonging the inevitable she was sure was a far worse punishment than seeing the results; so she opened them.

The records were meticulous. Whoever had been watching her had paid attention to every detail. Every aspect of her home life and schedule had been recorded right down to which bubble bath scent she preferred. The burning sickness in her stomach intensified as she looked at the photographs and she took a gulp of wine, hoping to give her senses something else to worry about. It didn't work. She filled her glass again.

Whoever had put the report together had been polite enough not to include any private photographs and she was sure she had Agent Vaughn to thank for that. The photographs did show the precise placement of the numerous cameras in all areas of her apartment including her bedroom, living room, kitchen, office and bathroom. Andrei Slother had indeed known exactly where the tear shaped birthmark on her body was located.

With the contents of the file spread over the table, Rory reached for the bottle of wine, but found it empty. She sighed. It was going to be a very long night.

A/N—You Like? Yes no Please review, it makes me write faster!


	4. Part Four: Not All Fairy Tales End Happi...

A/N Here we go a new chapter of Illusion. I seem to keep changing my mind about Zack's age but the final decision is that in the present chapter and I've changed the others accordingly although I said he was around 22 and born after the end of season three he is really now about 25 born sometime during the first season and Rory is 21

Illusion Of Sin  
Part Four

Not all Fairy Tales end happily ever after

Zack took the last sip of his wine and glanced at his watch. It had been over a half an hour since he'd left Rory to examine the contents of the file for herself. It had to be killing Rory and the thought that there was nothing he could do about it, made him feel like he was failing her. He hadn't looked in the file, but Vaughn had told him exactly what it contained. His apartment had been clean, only Rory's had been bugged but he would remain at the safehouse with her as a precautionary measure. His life had been threatened. Only Rory, Vaughn, Dixon and himself knew of the present circumstances. He'd elected not to inform his father of the situation. There was no need to worry him until something concrete had been established.

He was shocked when Rory stumbled slightly, tripping over his feet and plopped down on the couch beside him brandishing a full bottle of tequila and two shot glasses. He allowed her to pour him a shot without protest. It was clear that she was already close to being drunk from the wine. She passed a shot glass to him and raised hers.

"To Andrei Slother. May God forgive me when I get my hands on him." They touched glasses and Zack watched as she downed the shot in one gulp. He swallowed his more slowly. She downed another. She was obviously in a lot of pain. She poured another shot for herself but did not drink.

"What was up with that Vaughn guy at the warehouse?" she asked. "He was starting to creep me out."

Zack knew full well that her words were an exageration, but not by much. Vaughn hadn't been himself. "It was my fault. I should never have asked him to meet us at the warehouse."

Rory looked to him for further explanation.

"About twenty five years ago, he was a handler. This was back when handlers were specifically used for undercover agents, not like it is now. His asset was a double agent named Sydney Bristow. What I know has been pieced together from conversations with him and my father. You know about The Alliance?" Rory nodded remembering the basic agency history lesson she'd received when she joined the CIA and he continued. "Sydney worked for SD-6, a branch of The Alliance. She was their top agent. She didn't know that SD-6 was a part of The Alliance. She thought she worked for the real CIA. Eventually she told her fiancée what she did and SD-6 had him killed. It was then that she learned what SD-6 really was. She was working for the very organization she thought she was fighting. She became a double agent for the CIA and my Uncle Mike became her handler." Zack broke his story and took the opportunity to pour himself another shot of tequila.

"You know what's really great with tequila? Ice cream." Rory used the break in his story to jump up from the sofa and stumble into the kitchen. Zack winced hearing a giggle and an oops as several items were dropped from the freezer in her search for the desired treat. She returned several moments later with a pint of chocolate ice cream, two spoons and settled down beside him cross-legged. She peeled off the lid and stuck her spoon in. "It's not coffee, but it'll do. Ice cream and tequila, perfect." She sighed through a mouthful of ice cream.

Zack ate a spoonful of ice cream before continuing with his story. "She began working for the CIA, the real CIA. She wanted to bring down SD-6 and to do so she had to keep the truth about what SD-6 really was from those she worked with. Marshall worked in tech ops-you haven't met him yet-but you'll like him. And Dixon was her SD-6 partner."

Rory's eyes grew large learning that Director Dixon had once worked for the wrong side. It was impossible to envision in her mind, even if he hadn't been aware of SD-6's true allegiances.

"Sydney and Uncle Mike got close. She even got him a promotion once," he added with a smile. "I can't really go into what they did but suffice to say not all their missions were CIA or SD-6 sanctioned. Uncle Mike, became a bit of a rule breaker. There was something between them that I don't think either ever anticipated. But there were boundaries that could not be crossed."

Zack looked over at Rory. She was listening intently, completely enthralled in his story as she made a large dent in the pint of chocolate ice cream. He knew she was ignoring the situation by drinking but he couldn't fault her for doing so. Her life had been torn up and her privacy ripped away leaving her trying to hold on to any shreds of dignity that she had left.

"What happened?"

Zack relayed a few of Sydney and Vaughn's earlier escapades, including breaking into the Vatican, Vaughn's deadly virus and ending with their attempt at dinner in Paris. "They wanted to be together, but there was protocol to follow and they both knew it couldn't happen."

"Sounds almost like a fairy tale, but they got together right?"

Rory's words were slurred even more now and Zack realized she'd had at least one or two more shots since he'd began the story. He poured one more for each of them and capped the bottle setting it on the floor away from her. There was no need to allow Rory to give herself an even worse hangover than she was already promised to receive.

"I'm getting to that."

Rory sighed heavily; her face flushed red and handed Zack the slowly melting tub of ice cream. He raised an eyebrow as she struggled with her sweatshirt nearly smacking him in the face as she tried to pull her arm out of her sleeve. Zack grabbed her sleeves to help her and swallowed hard as he pulled the sweatshirt over her head and the black tank top she wore underneath rode up high exposing her stomach and the bottom swell of her breasts. He had to avert his eyes. This was a sight he never thought he'd see.

Aurora Summers had been through hell in the past few days. She'd been captured on a mission, beaten and tortured and then extracted by the CIA. She'd discovered a mole inside The Agency, was threatened by the enemy and had an uncharacteristic emotional breakdown in the middle of the night on the pier. Finally she'd discovered that her apartment had been under extensive surveillance by an arms dealer Andrei Slother. Now she was holed up in a CIA safehouse, far too close to her handler than she should be, utterly and completely drunk on wine and tequila and listening to a seemingly tragic love story while eating chocolate ice cream by the carton.

"Take it easy," Zack cautioned watching her down the last shot he'd poured.

"Zack, I basically had two options here." Rory spoke slowly in effort to pronounce all her words properly. She took the carton of ice cream back from him and waved her spoon around in the air as she spoke. "I could have gone out, found Slother and tortured the hell out of him myself probably getting either killed or fired from The Agency in the process. Or gotten so completely drunk that hopefully I wont remember anything in the morning and this will be just a bad nightmare. I believe I'm well on my way to accomplishing the second option and that in turn is preventing me from accomplishing the first, which I believe is beneficial to us all."

He had to agree with her. Drunk or not, she was logical.

"You know what's great about ice cream?" Rory dug her spoon in not waiting for an answer. "When it's half melted it's smooth… like soup." She giggled and stuck a spoonful in her mouth then retrieved another from the carton. "Here." She held the spoon up to his lips and wouldn't take it away until he'd opened his mouth and taken a huge mouthful. "Now tell me more about Sydney and Vaughn."

He almost laughed at the sight of her and used his thumb to wipe away a blob of chocolate from her bottom lip.

"The only way they could be together was if Sydney was free from SD-6 and eventually they did it. Sydney was able to obtain information that would not only bring down SD-6 but the entire Alliance. They succeeded and Uncle Mike was no longer her handler. That left them free to pursue a relationship."

"And they lived happily ever after?" she asked hopefully.

"No. Their lives were no where near the fairy tale you would hope for." He reached out his hand to wipe away another blob of ice cream from her lip. This time she caught his thumb between her teeth and sucked the sweet substance from his skin, swirling her tongue around the digit. Their eyes locked and Zack swallowed hard pulling his thumb from her lips. "Rory-"

"It's chocolate," she whispered her eyes never leaving his as she dug another spoonful of ice cream from the carton. She held the spoon to his lips. "Can't let it go to waste."

Zack opened his mouth and accepted the spoonful. They were so far beyond crossing the line, it was unimaginable. "You want to hear more about Sydney and Vaughn, don't do that again," he requested in a low voice trying gaining control over the situation.

When had he lost control?

Was she playing him or was she just a scared girl using a bottle to hide her pain because she didn't know what else to do. She was used to being in control at all times, but now someone else was dictating how she should live her life.

Zack knew he should have ended things there. She was drunk and he wasn't far off and both were in an incredibly awkward situation. But he didn't stop. Some nagging voice inside his head was making excuses. One of those excuses being that he was beginning to find out who Rory really was. He'd been her handler for nearly three months and over the past twenty-four hours he realized how very little he knew about her. He knew her work history, her educational background and the basics she'd revealed, but he didn't know her.

He found her to be incredibly intriguing. While drunk she was an entirely different person than he was used to seeing. She had more freedom, more honesty and more innocence than her demeanour at the office or while on operations portrayed. She was vulnerable and so child-like.

One of the other things Zack hadn't failed to notice was how incredibly sexy Riry was. It didn't matter that she was not in a revealing designer dress while on a mission in Paris but was just sitting on the couch in sweats and a tank top; she was beautiful. Flushed from the wine and tequila, she seemed to elicit a sort of glow around her. She had an elegance that reminded him of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys with a certain charisma that captured the attention of all those around her.

He held back a smile watching as she struggled to remove her socks. She nearly fell backwards off the couch in the process, but he prevented the fall and pulled the socks off for her. Zack took the nearly empty carton of ice cream from her as she'd finally lost interest in it and set it on the coffee table. She really had no idea what she was doing and considering how drunk she was, he doubted she would remember a thing in the morning

"Zack, Zack," Rory whispered in his ear and he looked over at her surprised to find that somehow she'd manoeuvred her body around to lean against him and he had his arm around her absently stroking her silky dark hair, which smelled of spiced apples. "You promised to tell me more about Sydney," she reminded him sullenly.

"Right." He thought for a moment to remember where he was in the timeline of events before continuing.

"With SD-6 destroyed Sydney and Vaughn did pursue a relationship and they were very much in love. They had to keep it quiet though. Interoffice dating was frowned upon, especially when the two were partners. There was protocol to consider. It's not like it was a big secret though. Everyone seemed to have a good idea that the two were involved. My dad was also helping them to keep it under wraps."

"Sounds like they were so much in love, what happened?" Rory interrupted. She yawned snuggling down into his side slightly, her head slipping to use his chest as a pillow. The top of her head tickled his chin and he smoothed her hair away.

Zack swallowed hard not knowing what to do. Things were getting way out of hand. Correction. They'd already gotten way out of hand. Against his better judgement he continued the story hoping it would distract them both from the situation at hand. "It wasn't easy for them and their families played a large part in that. Sydney's dad was CIA; in fact he'd also been a double agent for SD-6. They weren't very close and when she found out the truth it was difficult to trust him. He was the one who told her what SD-6 really was. Later on she discovered that her mother who had died when she was a little girl, was really a KGB Spy sent to American to seduce and marry her father Jack and to steal American secrets from him. She also found out that years before, her mother was responsible for the deaths of twelve CIA operatives. Amongst those twelve was Vaughn's father."

"My god, how horrible for them."

"That's not all," he said regretfully. "Her mother turned out to be alive. Her real name was Irina Derevko and soon after Sydney discovered the truth, Irina turned herself into the CIA."

"Poor Sydney," Rory whispered empathetic to the plight of a woman she'd never met. "She had to live every day with all those lies and falsities."

"She was strong. That's what my dad always said. 'Sydney Bristow was the toughest chick he'd ever met.'" He heard a small sigh from her lips and he looked down realizing that while his one hand continued to stroke her hair, his other had begun trailing his fingertips up and down her bare arm. When had that started? Why couldn't he stop?

"Did she ever see her mother?" In a quiet voice Rory prodded him to continue.

Zack nodded with a slight hesitation. "She hated her at first… but Irina was her mother and she began helping the CIA. At first Sydney was the only one she would talk to. She provided information until she betrayed them and escaped."

"She betrayed her own daughter? How could she do that?" Rory murmured her questions rhetorically not really bothering or wanting an answer. "How do you know so much about her?"

Zack shrugged. "My dad and Uncle Mike used to tell me bedtime stories about their adventures when I was a kid. Now, working in the same office as she did and with my dad and Uncle Mike, some of the employees are still the same and I hear things. Their stories about her, always seemed to catch my attention because I remember very little about being with her."

Zack sat in silence for a few moments as he regained his place in the story. "One night after Vaughn dropped Sydney off at home, there was a fire. Sydney shared a house with her best friend… Francie." He had to think for a moment to remember her name. "Her other friend Will was there a lot. He survived the fire. They found him stabbed and passed out in her bathtub." His fingers on her arm stilled as he told this portion of the story. Rory shivered slightly suddenly feeling cold in the room. "They found two bodies in the remains of the fire. DNA evidence identified them to be Sydney and her friend Francie."

"It wasn't just a fire was it?" Rory spoke up angling her face upward to look at him; there were tears in her eyes. "Her friend was stabbed…"

"You're right." His fingers started moving again. Trailing them up and down her arm he felt her adjust her position slightly, turning in to face him. "They couldn't get any leads though. Everyone was devastated. Uncle Mike was a wreck. He missed her so much…"

"She was the great love of his life."

Zack looked down at Rory realizing that her eyes were half closed and she was nearly asleep thanks to combination of wine, tequila and exhaustion. "Why don't we finish the story another time?" he suggested.

"No, no Zack please don't stop. I want to know what happens."

She asked him with such a pouted look on her face, he couldn't help but relent. "Alright," he agreed. "Vaughn drank a lot. My dad used to get called in the middle of the night and drag him home from whatever bar he was at. It happened a lot. Eventually his grief overwhelmed him and my dad convinced him to go to France to be with his mother, to recover. It was some time later that he met Lauren Reed. She was an NSC agent assigned to the JTF. He met her when he returned from France and quit the CIA. He became a French teacher and they were married, less than two years after Sydney's death."

Rory stared at him, her mouth hung open in shock. "How could he do that."

"I think, he was doing anything he could to forget Sydney; she was dead. Even if it meant marrying another woman. He did love Lauren, in the beginning."

"In the beginning?" His words seemed to perk Rory's interest again and she tried to stifle a yawn but was unsuccessful.

"About a month after they got married, Vaughn got a call from someone in the CIA. I was there when it happened and for as long as I live, I'll never forget the look on his face-"

"Was it about Sydney?" Rory interrupted him impatiently.

"She was alive." Rory's eyes lit up excitedly and he smiled at her sadly. "It's not that simple though. Sydney woke up in an alley in Hong Kong. The last thing that she remembered was finding her friend Will, stabbed in the bathtub and being shot in her apartment. She didn't remember the last two years of her life."

"She woke up to find Vaughn married to another woman," Rory whispered almost inaudibly. "She must have been devastated. Two years--her entire world was different."

Zack nodded and paused his story allowing Rory a few moments to process all the information. He continued to trail his fingertips up and down her arm and shoulder in slow wavy strokes enjoying the slight shiver it would cause every once in a while. Her skin was cool to the touch but her face still flushed from the alcohol. She seemed to be completely entranced by the story of Sydney and Vaughn. She wanted a happy ending like all fairy tales should end and Zack wasn't looking forward to telling her the end. "She was very hurt. It was hard on everyone, her most of all." A large smile broke across his face. "I can remember her a little bit. I was around four and she and my dad started spending a lot of time together." He laughed suddenly. "They woke me up at night once laughing and talking too loud, something about pink elephants and I spent weeks asking everyone I knew if pink elephants really existed."

"Did they?" Rory giggled.

"No," Zack laughed. "My dad told me years later that they were actually drunk and referring either to Vaughn or Lauren. I can only remember bits and pieces of being with her. She lived in the house beside ours and she used to look after me a lot when my dad was at work or away. She told great stories and she always smiled at me, even when she was sad. My dad once told me that being with me, made her happy."

"You were quite perceptive for a four year old."

Her speech was slow and quiet and he had to listen carefully to understand her. Exhaustion was setting in and the wine and tequila seemed to have worn off slightly, but Zack was quite sure she would not even be able to stand on her own.

"I liked her," he said with a light shrug. "But I missed Uncle Mike. After he married Lauren, I didn't see him much. Things between him and Sydney were tense, as I'm sure you can imagine. He went back to the task force and Lauren began working at the JTF too. Sydney still didn't remember those missing two years. She did learn that it was an organization called The Covenant that had taken her. They'd brainwashed her into believing she was another woman. An assassin, Julie… Jule…Julia something. They didn't really brainwash her though, she was just pretending. She was specially trained to be able to withstand severe brainwashing. As soon as she could, she escaped and she became a double agent for the CIA working inside the Covenant. When she left them, she knew she had information and knowledge that they wanted and would stop at nothing to get. In order to protect herself she had her memory erased."

Rory's eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open in shock. "Sydney erased her own memory. How could she do that-"

"It was the only way she could protect herself and those around her, if she honestly didn't know what they wanted. It didn't work though. They came after her again and again, but each time she got away."

"Where was Vaughn in all this?" Rory interrupted suddenly.

"He was dealing with some problems of his own." Zack's hand abandoned its repetitive movements in her hair and moved to her cheek. He ran the back of his hand up and down her cheek. Her skin was like silk and he almost ached to touch it. She was intoxicating.

"Sydney's father discovered that there was a leak, a mole within the agency. He traced it back to Vaughn's wife Lauren. Vaughn didn't want to believe it, but then he discovered that Lauren was really the co-head of the American Sector of The Covenant. He became intent on revenge. He had to make her pay for what she had done to him. She did pay."

"He killed her didn't he?"

"Yes he did." Zack nodded thoughtfully. "I never liked her, I can remember that much. She always seemed so cold and unfriendly. After she was made, she went after Sydney. It was then when Lauren was trying to kill Sydney that Vaughn shot her."

"And Sydney and Vaughn?"

"They got back together." Zack smiled at the pleased look on her face. He'd discovered that beneath her tough exterior, Rory was a romantic at heart. He hated to discourage her with the truth. "It was hard for them. They'd been apart for nearly three years. Vaughn had been married, Lauren's betrayal and Sydney's lost memories were only the start. They still loved each other, but had difficulty trusting each other."

Zack ensured he had Rory's full attention before continuing. "When I first began working at the JTF I researched old cases to see how things were done and one of the cases I looked at was one completed by Sydney and Vaughn about two months or so before Lauren died. They were on an operation in Lisbon going after information on the Covenant. They were separated because Vaughn didn't follow orders and as a result Sydney's position was compromised and she was captured. She went missing for six days. Teams searched everywhere for her but they couldn't locate her. She had just vanished. They were sure it was The Covenant but then a few days later she turned up. She had either been drugged or just kept unaware for her entire period of captivity. She could not escape and she had no idea who had held her prisoner. They didn't even interrogate her. During a transfer she was able to escape and she found herself in Vienna. Sydney never found out who took her or why. She held Vaughn partially responsible for that. If he had backed her up, her position wouldn't have been compromised and she would not have been captured. Vaughn didn't take that failure lightly. It really got to him. After Lauren died trust was difficult for them, but they were in love and finally things seemed to be getting back to normal." He stopped there not sure if he should tell her the ending of the story.

"And they lived happily ever after…" Rory's voice trailed off slightly and Zack detected an edge of wistfulness or possible envy in her voice.

"No, they didn't."

Zack's voice forced Rory to sit up. She turned to fully face him and did her best to hold back the tears in her eyes.

"Not all fairy tales have happy endings Rory." Zack reached up and swept away strands of dark hair that had fallen over her eyes. He cupped his hand over the side of her face, gently drawing his thumb across her cheek. Once. Twice. Again and again. Rory had some sort of magic over him. "Some love stories are tragic, like Romeo and Juliet, two star crossed lovers who would give up everything for each other."  
  
"Zack, no-" She whispered shaking her head knowing what was about to come.

"The warehouse we met in today is where Sydney and Vaughn used to meet when she was a double agent. It was special to them. It's the last place he saw her when she said goodbye." A single tear slipped its way down Rory's cheek and Zack fought the urge to be the one to wipe it away. "About two months after Lauren died Sydney said goodbye to Vaughn and she disappeared. No one ever saw her again. Twenty one years ago, about a year after they last saw each other, Sydney died."

"How?" Rory's voice was a mere whisper so quiet he barely heard it. She was oblivious to the tears staining her cheeks.

Zack tucked Rory's hair behind her ear. "There are rumours that she went rogue. No one really knows for sure or why she left. She was just gone one day. A year later she was shot and killed and Vaughn never really got over it." A second tear followed the path of the first down Rory's cheek. He stopped it with his thumb. "It's just a story Rory. It happened years ago."

"She seemed like an incredible woman."

"She was," Zack agreed. "I think you two would have liked each other." Rory slipped against him, her head resting in the crook of his neck and yawned. "It's late," Zack said softly against her ear. "You should get some sleep. You're going to have one hell of a headache in the morning."

Rory protested profusely. Her words were barely understandable in her intoxicated state. Zack ignored her ramblings and stood pulling her to her feet. He supported her weight and slipped an arm around her waist as he helped her to her bedroom. Rory fell awkwardly into bed, her eyes already closed and Zack pulled the blankets up around her before leaving. He was almost out of the doorway when she called him back. He turned and approached the bed. Rory moved her body slightly so he could sit down on the bed. Her face was illuminated in the low light from the hallway.

"What is it?"

"Do you believe in soulmates? In love at first sight?"

He was taken aback. While he'd learnt that Rory was a romantic at heart despite her tough exterior, he couldn't have expected such a question to come from her lips. "I suppose that depends on your definition."

The light from the hallway created a shadow across her pillow. He leaned one arm across her body in order to see her properly in the dim light.

"A soulmate, a person you were destined to be with. Every person on this earth has that certain someone out there that God created just for them, to spend their life with, to give their life meaning."

"I suppose it's possible, but what if you never find your soulmate? What if you're so intent on finding that one person that you miss out on a great love. What if a person's soulmate dies, does that mean they can never be completely in love with another? Can you have more than one at different times? I suppose there are just so many questions or inconsistencies to give a definite answer."

Rory considered his words. Maybe everyone in the world did have a soulmate, a person they were to love completely but some were just not destined to find each other.

Zack watched the change in her eyes as she thought about what he'd said. She turned slightly and light strands of hair fell over her eyes. He moved them to the side as he spoke again. "'To say that you can love one person all your life is just like saying that one candle will burn as long as you live.' That was…"

"Tolstoy," they both said in unison.

"Right," Zack smiled resisting the urge to touch her face again. It must have been the tequila and chocolate ice cream. She was driving him insane. "It's from the Kreutzer Sonata. You've read Tolstoy?"

She nodded. "Anna Karennina's my favourite but they totally destroyed it with the movie."

He had to agree. "Are we finished with the profound questions for the night?"

"Do you think Sydney and Vaughn were soulmates?" she sat up slightly closing the distance between them.

"If you mean the definition that they loved each other so completely and were meant to spend the rest of their lives together and would have if Sydney hadn't died, than yes I do."

"I do too." She reached her hand up and traced his jawline with her index finger. "You're cute, you know that," she whispered sleepily

Zack caught her hand and pulled it down to the bed. "Rory don't-"

"My parents were soulmates, I know they were. My parents were and Sydney and Vaughn were." Rory used her free hand and touched his face again. "Somewhere out there, maybe there's someone for us too." She weaved her fingers through the slight curls above his ears and leaned forward pressing her lips to his.

Surprise, shock and every emotion imaginable ran through Zack's mind. He tried not to kiss her back. He tried to remain unaffected by her kiss but it was impossible and he kissed her back, if only for the briefest moment. He could taste the tequila and the sweetness of the ice cream on her lips. Her hand in his hair drove him insane. He didn't touch her. It was all he could do to force himself not to touch her. Not to be lost in the hold she seemed to have over him. Not touching her gave him back a little bit of the control she seemed to be taking away.

Her lips were firm and insistent on his urging him to participate more, but he didn't; he couldn't. It didn't matter what he wanted or what she wanted. She was drunk. She didn't know what she was doing and he knew that it was wrong and it could not happen. He'd already allowed things to go too far. It had to stop.

Rory was leaning back trying to pull him down on top of her. He raised his hands to her shoulders and pushed her down as gently and firmly as he could separating their contact. "Rory stop!"

"Zack-"

"This is wrong and you know it." Zack stood and backed away, looking past the confusion on her face. "This has to stop. You're drunk and this entire situation has gotten so far out of control. Get some sleep, you won't even remember this in the morning." He closed the door without even pausing to give her a chance to respond.

With Rory's bedroom door closed safely behind him he entered his own room and collapsed onto the bed. He wasn't sure what had prompted him to tell her the story of Sydney and Vaughn and it surprised him that he had actually remembered most of the events. There was a lot he hadn't told her and even more he didn't know. Particularly th parts about something called Rambaldi that he'd heard mentioned in reference to Sydney on several occasions.

"What happened," he wondered aloud. He'd gone over the entire evening in his head trying to pin point exactly when things had gotten out of control. Was it when he gave her the file containing the surveillance information on her home or when she'd poured him that first shot of tequila or was it that last shot he'd poured for them both?

Regardless of when it happened didn't seem to matter anymore. The fact was that it happened and he could only pray that she was too drunk to remember any of it. Especially the kiss. He touched his lips. They still burned from the contact and he couldn't remember a time when someone had made him feel like she had. Not that it mattered. He attributed it to the significant amount of wine and tequila he too had consumed and the responsibility he felt towards her as her handler.

He closed his eyes not even bothering to change his clothes or get under the covers. He wanted this day to be over more than anything. He could only dread what tomorrow would bring.

A/N well I hope you all liked it and I hope you'll all review and let me know what you thought (good or bad)

Next part is going to be exciting!


	5. Part Five: Betrayal Hurts

A/N: Just a forewarning that this chapter does contain a few bad words and sexual comments. It's probably like PG-13 or 14-A or something.

Illusion Of Sin 

Part 5  
Betrayal

Rory held on to her desk for dear life as she slumped down in her chair. Her head was spinning out of control and she was afraid that if she let go, she would fall to the ground. She lay her head on the table and closed her eyes trying desperately to still the sledgehammer in her skull.

"Morning."

Rory opened her eyes as Zack set two aspirin and a bottle of water in front of her. She sat up, smiled gratefully, and then took the medication.

Zack perched on the edge of her desk. "Feeling any better?" he asked a little too loudly.

Rory winced at his tone. "Possibly, if I could find a way to drill a hole in my brain to relieve the drum practice.

"That bad huh," he lowered his voice with a smile. She'd been asleep when he left for work so he'd let her sleep in and given Dixon an excuse as to her absence.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I'd never been drunk before?" she asked half-heartedly and took another sip of water.

"Actually yes, I would." His tone of voice was laced with humour and she had to smile as well.

"Anything on Slother?"

"Not yet. Dixon is still keeping it under wraps until we can narrow down exactly where the leak is coming from. Mike-Agent Vaughn is investigating it. We have a meeting set up for later this afternoon."

Rory's eyes scanned the rotunda in search for her partner Byron Richards. They needed to go over the debrief report for their last mission and fill in a few holes. She didn't see him. She did spot Agent Vaughn who was speaking with an older man she had never seen before. "Who is that with Vaughn?"

Zack turned his attention to where she had been looking. "That's Jack Bristow, Sydney's father. He works mostly at the downtown office on consultation. I'm surprised to see him here actually."

Rory shifted her attention back to Zack who had stood to walk back to his own desk. "Zack?" He stopped and turned back to her. "About last night-"

"Rory don't-"

"I believe I said that I hoped to get so drunk I wouldn't remember anything in the morning." She looked him in the eye, regret evident in her features. "Or something like that. Unfortunately that didn't happen."

"It didn't?" he asked nervously wondering how much she did remember.

"I remember everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything," she whispered nodding. Her memory of the kiss and the circumstances surrounding it were fuzzy, but she knew exactly what had happened. "Zack, I don't know what to say other than I'm sorry. I was drunk and I know that is no excuse but I don't think I had any idea what I was doing. If I had, I never would have done what I did and I'm incredibly embarrassed that I put you in that position-"

"Rory stop," Zack interrupted her and squatted down to her level. "I'm as much to blame. I gave you the wine and I should never have let you get as drunk as you did. Nothing happened. Everything is forgotten. We've got more important things to take care of."

Rory nodded and stood as he did. His tone of voice had changed, and that left her uneasy. Nevertheless, she extended her hand. "Thank you, Agent Weiss."

Zack gripped her hand gently. "Agent Summers." He nodded and walked away feeling rather confused by the entire situation. Not that this was anything new. Rory often left him with that feeling.

Rory sat down in her desk chair and buried her face in her arms. She had never felt worse than she did at that moment. She had a killer of a headache, her head spun with every step she took and her stomach wretched with any unpleasant smell. It quickly became very clear to her why she'd never been one to go out and party. Hangovers were spawned by the devil, she was sure. After blinking several times to clear her vision Rory opened the files in front of her and set to work translating the surveillance wire taps regarding a drug cartel from its native Portuguese into English.

While she worked, she started to feel uneasy. Something was off. She looked up from her desk, only to meet Agent Jack Bristow's cold, dark stare.

Jack, well aware that he had Rory's attention, walked to an empty conference room within her vision and held open the door. After she walked in, Jack closed it behind them and gestured for her to sit down before sitting across from her. "Agent Summers, Jack Bristow. I'm consulting on your situation."

"Nice to meet you." Rory's gaze flicked over the elder agent quickly. He seemed tired. He looked like he'd been up all night and she was quite sure her situation was to blame. Despite his age, he appeared to be quite fit and she had no doubt that he could defeat anyone he came up against.

"Director Dixon is briefing Agent Weiss now but I wanted to speak with you myself." Jack pulled out his pen and twisted the lid activating a bug killer for precautionary measures. He leaned back in his chair and studied the young girl. She'd opted to go with very little make up for the day and the fading bruises of the physical torture she'd been subjected to during her captivity only days earlier were prominently displayed across her face.

"You've examined the analysis reports that were done on your apartment?" Jack questioned and then nodded his approval after she replied. "We still haven't found the direct source of the bugs but my investigation has turned up a very likely candidate."

"You know who it is?" she asked surprised that the culprit had been identified so quickly.

"We don't have any solid proof yet, but, in the last few weeks, we've suspected that there was a mole highly placed within the agency. Thanks to you, we now know where to narrow our search. We're going to arrange a set up and we'll need your help with that. You should be able to get him to admit to it and once we have his confession, we'll take him into custody. Agents, Weiss, Richards, Vaughn, Patel and Clark will go in with you as backup and-"

"Agent Bristow, do you have any idea why it was me?" Rory interrupted ignoring the look of annoyance she received from him. "It could easily have been any agent on this task force with higher security clearance, more information, so why me of all people?"

Jack leaned forwards in his chair. He knew this question was coming. "I believe it has to do with your lack of experience," he explained. "You're young, naïve, well trained and building quite a reputation for yourself within the agency. You were targeted perhaps four to six weeks ago. I don't believe Slother thought you would excel so quickly."

"It doesn't make sense-"

"It makes perfect sense, Agent Summers," Jack interrupted her and slid a file in her direction. "He's planning on recruiting you to work with his organization."

"That's insane, why would he think I'd ever work with him. I-"she stopped mid-sentence as the realization hit her.

Jack nodded, well aware that she now knew exactly how Andrei Slother was planning on recruiting her.

"He was going to blackmail me with the surveillance footage from my apartment."

Jack nodded again. "I expect he would have also falsified evidence to implicate you as the mole and destroyed your reputation. He could have taken you or killed you when you were captured but your extraction was far too easy. You walked away virtually unharmed with no life threatening injuries. Slother had no intention of keeping you any longer or taking your life."

Jack watched the change come over Rory as he explained Slother's actions. Her eyes seemed to cloud over in anger into a darker blue and her jaw was set firm. There was still a certain naivety about her, and he could see that it made it difficult for her to believe his words. If she was as smart as she seemed, her state of denial would last much longer; perhaps even until the very end.

He'd read her report on the botched mission and was well aware that she had killed one of the guards. Her first reported kill. With the new developments regarding Slother and his plans, she was seeing the dark side of the agency for the first time and her life was about to take an unexpected turn. "If he'd taken you then, you would have rebelled. He had to wait until he broke you. He had to wait until he'd completely destroyed your life, threatened to destroy the lives of your family and friends and left you with nothing. Then his organization would seem appealing and you would feel you had no other choice."

"I believe he is the naïve one to expect that he could convince me to work for him." She looked up to Jack. "I know how to disappear."

"I do not doubt your skills Agent Summers, but Slother is a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. You disappear, he will find you."

"You sound like you know him?" Rory asked curiously.

"I've known many men like Andrei Slother. They're ruthless. They will do anything to get what they want, without concern for anyone who stands in their way. Don't underestimate him. To him you are a commodity, insurance, an asset. He wants your skills and he wants you."

Rory swallowed hard and nodded. The entire situation was difficult to understand. She eyed the folder in front of her but resisted the urge to open it. Her eyes connected with Jack's.

"Who is it?"

Jack said nothing, but reached over and opened the folder revealing the image of the man who they thought to be betraying their country. He watched Rory's face. Her eyes closed briefly in denial, the shock and horror passed her face.

"God no."

With the amount of agents on standby, it would have seemed like a semi-difficult operation, but it wasn't. It wasn't even a real operation. It was a carefully designed set up, planned to pinpoint the mole. It had been six days since Agent Bristow had revealed to her who the mole was. Those six days had turned out to be even more difficult than Rory ever could have imagined. Not only did she live each day with the knowledge that this man had betrayed her trust, she was forced to work with him, eat meals with him, and plan this operation.

Jack looked up from the computer he was working on. He was positioned in one of the security vans controlling the operation from there. Their mole had no idea that in reality there was a back up van filled with agents in anticipation of any foul play.

His gaze immediately locked on Agent Summers. She sat awkwardly on the bench while a member of their tech ops division adjusted her communications link. He walked over to her. "I'll finish up," he said dismissing the other man.

Rory was surprised as Jack knelt in front of her and began checking the straps and buckles on her kevlar vest. She'd never guessed him to be the hands-on type of Agent.

Jack kept his voice low so not to be heard by the others. "Are you ready for this?" he asked frowning as he tightened one of the buckles until it was deemed suitable to him.

"Yes, Sir."

If Jack noticed the nervousness in her voice he didn't mention it. Instead he concentrated on double checking and triple checking her vest and communications link. He pointed to the hidden button on her vest. "Press it in and your com link connects only to myself and Director Dixon at the JTF. When it's out your com is connected to everyone. You need to be aware at all times of who you are speaking to." Jack spoke in a low voice to prevent any of the others from overhearing.

"I understand." Her hand trembled slightly and she moved to tuck her hair behind her ear, but Jack stopped her. He grabbed her wrist holding it in place mid air and her eyes widened in surprise as he reached up with his free hand and tucked the lock of hair behind her ear.

"You'll be fine," Jack said softly and lowered both hands.

Rory just stared at him in surprise. She couldn't help but feel there was something familiar about him. It wasn't the first time she'd felt that way either. Over the past few days, she was sure she'd caught him watching her on a number of occasions but each time, there always seemed to be a reason and she couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly about him that intrigued her. Agent Bristow also never failed to surprise her. She'd been shocked when she'd learned that he would be accompanying the surveillance team. He didn't look nor act near his age but she was sure that he had to be pushing seventy and was positive that he didn't belong out in the field but here he was.

"Stay cool, calm and do what I told you, and you'll be fine." Jack stood as best he could in the van and returned to his chair in front of the computer monitor.

'Thank you Agent Bristow.' She meant to say the words, but they never left her lips.

"Rory, let's go." Rory's partner Byron Richards had already exited the van with the other members of their team. He held the door open for her and then took her hand as she jumped down.

With one last glance at Agent Bristow Rory followed her team to a nearby alley. As designated in the mission outline, they all split up upon entering the building. It was an old abandoned building that used to be a flourmill. Most of the windows were broken and the floors caked with dirt and unseen objects. Their mission was to secure the above floors before proceeding to an underground level where information on a newly emerging opposing force to the US Government was hidden.

However, the entire operation was a set up, primarily designed by Agent Bristow and Director Dixon to allow the mole to implicate himself. Rory's mission was to conceal her identity, corner the mole and get him to confess. In theory it should go off without a hitch; however, playing it out could prove to be more complicated.

As soon as she was alone Rory took the steps two at a time up a rickety metal staircase to the fourth level. Agent Vaughn was waiting for her, having approached from a more direct route.

Wordlessly, Vaughn helped her change her clothes. She pulled a pair of black jeans over the black full bodysuit she was wearing and changed to a different black sweater. Vaughn handed her a small blue container and in a matter of seconds her eyes had gone from blue to a light hazel. Lastly, she traded in her knitted black cap for a full cover ski mask.

Rory pressed the hidden button on her vest and switched her com link over.

"Base van, this is Thrill, checking in."

"Thrill are you in position?" Jack adjusted the volume controls on his computer and studied the visual monitor.

"Yes Sir."

Vaughn could see that Rory was scared to death. Although her entire physical identity was concealed and her once bright blue eyes were now dark, they still showed fear. She wasn't afraid of being in physical danger as she knew she was well protected but she did fear the reaction of the mole when he learned that it was she who set him up. Even though he'd endangered her life, she still felt loyalty towards him. Gently Vaughn reached over and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. He handed her a gun. "If you have to, use it." She nodded firmly and slipped the gun on the inside of her vest.

"Target is on the basement level. Southeast Corner. Proceed with caution," Jack instructed.

"Yes Sir. Thrill going radio silent." Rory took a deep breath and turned off her comlink. With one last look at Agent Vaughn, she crossed to the catwalk steps that would lead to the elevator shaft. A sudden tapping of footsteps on the metal stairs caused her to stop and turn.

Zack stood at the bottom watching her intently and gave her two thumbs up. "Good Luck" he mouthed. If she hadn't been wearing a full covered mask, he would have seen Aurora Summers smile.

Zack descended the catwalk steps. Vaughn took note of his lowered shoulders and worried expression and slapped his godson lightly on the shoulder. "She'll be fine," he said confidently.

"I know."

Vaughn switched his comlink on. "Base Van, this is Boyscout. Thrill is proceeding to the target. Boyscout and Black Eagle are retreating to the rendezvous point."

"Copy that Boyscout." Jack sat back in the chair. There was nothing he could do now but wait and rely solely on the target's comlink to know what was going on. They couldn't risk the chance of feedback in the mole's ear from Rory's com so it had to be turned off.

As Rory made her way down the vacant elevator shaft, she was surprised at how calm she was. Her entire future depended upon this operation. If it failed than she might never know what Andrei Slother's game plan entailed. What his plan was for her.

Soundlessly she dropped to the concrete floor. The target was only meters in front of her with his back to her. The soles of her shoes made no sound as she crossed the nearly barren room. The target was hunched over a computer performing the task he'd been assigned. Copying computer files onto a CD.

She never saw the first punch coming and his fist struck her hard. Reeling backwards Rory landed hard on her back and scrambled quickly to her feet. She lunged at him attacking from the side, his balance was offset and she easily pinned him. The mole made a grab for her mask and she rolled to her side evading his grasp but allowing him freedom. He couldn't know who she was; not yet.

The mole made a move towards her this time. She matched him punch for punch and kick for kick. Neither managed to get the upperhand until he kicked Rory's right thigh and she went down.

He stood over her breathing heavily and one foot pressed hard on her chest stealing what little oxygen she had. "Who the hell are you?"

Rory struggled with each small gasping breath. They felt like daggers in her chest and her entire upper body seemed paralyzed. She couldn't let him win and with a new burst of energy, Rory's hands flew up unexpectedly and grabbed his ankle. Using it as leverage she twisted her body and pulled him down. The takedown was a shock to him and delayed his reaction time. By the time he realized what had happened Rory was already handcuffing his hands to a sturdy metal pole.

"Your worst nightmare." Rory answered the question he'd posed only moments earlier but this time, it was she who was in control.

Jack checked his watch for the tenth time in the past few moments. Something was nagging at him and he couldn't explain it. He leaned on the table and rubbed his eyes wearily. Agent Summer's face flashed in his memory and he felt a sudden feeling of remorse. She was a more than capable Agent and he had no doubt that she could pull off the operation without a problem, but he wished there were another way. He'd had plenty of experience with the mole in question and knew that if he were pulled in for questioning, no one would be able to get anything out of him. This was the only way, but it was going to leave Agent Summers with a jaded perspective and grappling with the unexpected reality of his admission of guilt. He shrugged it off. When had he become soft?

His cell phone shifted his attention and he answered it quickly. "Bristow."

"Agent Bristow, this is Agent Morrison in security, I have the information you requested."

"What is it?" he asked leaning forwards in his chair.

"I have the info on Agent Summers. Unfortunately there isn't much to add to what you already know, but we were able to find her original birth certificate and records in Pittsburgh and all the information she gave has been verified. It does list her middle name, which was not in any of her files and we were able to find information on her mother including her maiden name Johnson. Would you like me to forward it all to you?"

"Yes, do it now," he ordered. "What about Andrei Slother?" There was a pause on the other end of the phone that Jack could only take as a bad sign. "What is the status on Slother?" he repeated.

"I'm e-mailing you the reports now and the pictures," Morrison said. "He lost the tail and we lost two men."

"What happened?" Jack nearly shouted into the cell phone ignoring the curious looks he received from the surveillance agents.

"He was meeting with an associate, we're still trying to ID him but somehow he figured out we were following him after the meeting. Slother pushed the car into the guardrail. There was no hope, no chance. His whereabouts at this point are unknown."

"Send me the pictures." Jack snapped his phone shut, took a sip of water and waited for the e-mail notification that would hopefully dispel any fears he had regarding the life of Agent Summers.

The mole spit a mouthful of blood onto the concrete floor. "This building is surrounded, the CIA will be here in minutes when they realize I haven't checked in."

Rory circled him several times before speaking in a thick British accent. "You're very good, you know. I could almost believe that you were working for the CIA."

"I am CIA." The mole protested and struggled against the restraints but soon gave up. It was useless, he was trapped.

Rory stood in front of him her arms crossed over her chest. "I didn't say you weren't," she said in a clipped voice. "Slother sent me."

The mole let out an exasperated sigh. "Well if you know who I am then what is the meaning of this, you're risking my cover." His eyes narrowed slightly. "How do I know you're with him?"

"If I wasn't, then why would I be wasting my time on a low grade agent like you?" she answered quickly. Rory circled him several more times and pulled her gun running the cool surface over hands. There it was, the admission she'd been seeking. It was true, he was the mole and she fought hard to keep the tears from her eyes. Her job wasn't over yet.

She stopped in front of him squatting down to the ground, still holding the gun in her hands. The mole swallowed nervously. "Slother is a little uncertain as to your true loyalties at the moment."

"My loyalty is to him, he knows that. I've done everything he's ever asked-"

"And the CIA?"

"Haven't got a clue."

He said it so smugly that Rory had to muster her strength not to hit him with the butt of her gun and wipe the look from his face. She stood and swallowed hard hoping her voice was as steady as it needed to be. "There is something I'm a little curious about. Why does he want that girl?"

"Summers?" he asked surprised and took her silence as a yes. "Damned if I know, she's a good agent, but she's not that good. Bastard probably wants to fuck her senseless. Can't say the thought hasn't ever crossed my mind. I'd bet any money she's an animal in bed," he laughed.

It was that laugh. The one she'd heard so many times before that made her snap. She punched him knocking a tooth free. He spit it out, "what the hell-"

Rory stood in front of him and pulled the tape recorder from the inside of her vest. The utter look of shock and horror crossed his face as she held it in front of his eyes. She dropped the heavy British accent she'd been using to disguise her voice.

"You're not as good as you think you are Byron." Rory pulled the mask off, dark hair spilling over her shoulders and leveled the gun aiming directly at his heart.

"You did this to me?" Her partner Byron Richardson sounded almost offended as he spoke; his voice trembled slightly with fear.

"You did this to yourself," She spat the words from the tip of her tongue. "And while we're setting the record straight, the thought or even the want to sleep with you has never, nor would ever cross my mind. I'd rather sleep with a 90 year old bed ridden man than touch you with a ten foot pole."

His reaction was not what she expected. He smiled. A slow vindictive smile that she'd never seen before. She realized too late that something was amiss. It was the gun against the back of her neck that alerted her to the presence of another being in the basement.

"You would be a good fuck, wouldn't you." With his left hand holding a gun to the base of her skull Andrei Slother reached in front of her and took her gun. Another pair of hands pulled her arms behind her back and secured them tightly before spreading her legs slightly and frisking her in search of other weapons. "Wouldn't you?" he repeated jabbing the gun harder into her neck. Slother used his other hand that was holding Rory's gun and trailed it up and down the front of her body. She closed her eyes tightly supressing the urge to vomit as Slother slipped his hand to the junction of her thighs and rubbed her roughly through the layers of material.

"It's never going to happen, so why torture yourself by fantasizing." Rory kept her voice steady and attempted to sound bored and unaffected which was exactly the opposite of what she was feeling.

Byron laughed loudly and was immediately silenced by Rory's gun. She watched in horror as the blood spilled from his forehead. "Well now that that's taken care of, you and I have some things to discuss." Slother gripped Rory's bound hands and pushed her towards the wall. She lost her balance and her knees slammed into the concrete. Slother paid no mind and hauled her up by her hair and pushed her back against the wall.

It was then that she got her first good look at the man who was intent on destroying her life. He had to be in his late thirties with sandy colored hair and grey eyes. He could almost be considered attractive, were it not for the fact that he was a heartless SOB. There was only one other man with him in the basement. A burly hulk of a man who looked like he'd been in the boxing ring when he was younger stood near the exit. She wasn't surprised that there was only one guard with Slother. Too many would have risked exposure and she couldn't fathom how Slother managed to get into the warehouse in the first place. Where the hell was her backup?

Slother had decided to abandon his gun for the use of a sharp knife. He slid the tip lightly down her face until the blade made contact with the knit sweater easily slicing through the material until it fell in shreds to her bound hands. He raised the knife to her chest and toyed it along the buckles of her kevlar vest. "Your birthmark if I remember correctly should be right about here he said lightly tapping the spot on her left breast with the tip of the knife. A sly grin spread across his face as his other hand slipped between her shirt and the vest and cupped it tightly.

"I'm considering having it removed," she shot back disgusted.

"Don't." He pressed the edge of the blade against her neck and leaned in, his lips close to her ear. "It's endearing." He lips moved down to the side of her neck and proceeded to suck her skin slightly, swirling his tongue over it. His teeth nipped slightly at her pulsepoint and his free hand slipped between her jeans and the black bodysuit she wore. "You know, we could take care of a little pleasure before business." Slother whispered in her ear his fingers grasped at her body.

Rory closed her eyes momentarily and swallowed hard. "Don't make me vomit," she said and spat in his face.

Slother slapped her so hard and fast across her cheek that the throbbing pain in her jaw barely had time to register before his hand closed over her neck holding tightly. "Don't do that again," he growled wiping the saliva away with his thumb. "The boss wouldn't want me damaging the merchandise."

"The boss?" Rory raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were the boss," she said snidely.

Slother glared at her. "I am the boss, however occasionally my services are hired out. Come now Aurora, other than for a quick roll in the hay, of what use could you possibly be to me."

"Perhaps we can come to an agreement between the two of us," she said suggestively. Her mind was racing a mile a minute with the new information she'd discovered. Slother wasn't a real threat to her. "You give me information on your boss and I'll see that your 'needs' are satisfied."

"That certainly is an enticing offer but I value my life." Slother released his hold on her neck and Rory desperately sucked in much needed oxygen. "I will however give you a clue and for that, I get a kiss." Slother immediately molded his lips to hers not waiting for her to agree to his proposition. Rory wasn't an eager participant in the kiss but she didn't deny him either. She was willing to sacrifice her dignity for information. His lips were bruising as he feasted on hers. When Slother plunged his tongue into her mouth Rory bit his lip hard, drawing blood.

He pulled back angrily. "What were you a vampire in another life?"

"I gaze you permission to kiss me, not to play tonsil hockey with your tongue," Rory stated coldly. She couldn't hide her surprise when Slother suddenly kissed her again, hard, and pulled her lip between his teeth and bit down firmly, garnering a desired whimper from the back of her throat. He split her lip open and then pulled away licking his lips and tasting the blood on them. His blood. Her blood. Slother leaned forwards and traced her lips with his tongue cleaning the blood from them.

Rory could feel the blood dripping down her lower lip and onto her chin. "Now who's the vampire," she let out a bored sigh. "You disgust me."

"Perhaps I should reconsider your offer?" Slother said with a smile that could only be described as wicked and pressed his body against hers.

"My offer expired." Rory raised her knee to hit him in the groin but he caught wind of her plan and spun her around slamming her face into the concrete.

"You would be a wild cat in bed wouldn't you," he hissed in her ear. Slother used his knife and cut the plastic binding from her hands. Before Rory had the chance to fight back he'd grabbed her wrists and spun her around once more pinning them above her head. He had a height advantage of nearly a foot to his favor. Rory blinked rapidly trying to clear the darkness from her vision as her head cracked against the concrete wall again. She made a grab for the knife but Slother's strength overwhelmed her. "You know I think my boss might understand if we have a little fun before I bring you in."

"I've grown tired of your games." Rory struggled to keep her eyes open and not succumb to the darkness that was pulling her in. The thought of what Slother could do to her, wanted to do to her, scared the hell out of her. "Now tell me who is your boss and what does he want with me."

"That's more than a clue Aurora," Slother chided her. "I'll tell you this. My boss wants to settle an old score."

She hated the way he said her name, drawing out the r's making it sound so vile. "What old score could he possibly have with me?" she wondered aloud not even bothering to hide the surprise in her voice.

"Ever the innocent aren't you Aurora..."

While Slother busied himself grinding his body against hers, unnoticed Rory managed to angle her wrist upwards. The knife was almost within reach. All she had to do was grab it. Her hands would be free and she could activate her comlink. Slother was smart, just not smart enough. He was a guy after all and more often than not they did not use the brains god gave them.

"Agent Bristow?" a nervous voice asked for his attention.

"What?" Jack frowned waiting for the images on his computer screen. They were the surveillance photos of Andrei Slother meeting with an unknown associate. The notes and information Morrison had found were presently being printed off the small printer.

"It's Agent Richardson's comlink. We've lost communication."  
  
"What?" Jack asked distractedly. The paper had finished printing and he grabbed it studying the notes murmuring them aloud. "Father Joe Summers-occupation Construction Supervisor. Mother Katherine Summers –maiden name Johnson. Occupation Highschool Teacher, English and Science. Deceased twenty years ago, automobile accident..." He studied the information slightly puzzled and nearly tore the second page from the printer. Agent Summers' birth certificate. The surveillance agent called his name again preventing Jack from examining the document. "What?"

"We've lost all communication inside the warehouse. Our signal has been intercepted. Infrared is down."

Jack Bristow did not panic he was not a man who would panicked. He pounded the keyboard trying to retrieve the infrared. It didn't work. "Agent Richards, what is your status?" Silence. "Retrieval Team what is your status?" Silence. "Boyscout and Black Eagle, what is your status?" Silence. "Boyscout, respond." Silence. "Black Eagle?"

"I can't rouse anyone on the com's. The retrieval team isn't answering either."

Jack Bristow did not panic, but the fear was rising. His eyes fell to the birth certificate as it was spit from the printer. Aurora F. Summers, suddenly became Aurora Francine Summers. He seemed to freeze staring intently at the paper as the information processed through his brain. Katherine Johnson—Kate Jones, Joe Summers...Joe... Joe... Joe... Jonah, he realized. He glanced up at his computer screen; the surveillance photo had finished loading revealing an image of the man Slother had met with; a very familiar man.

"Shit."

Jack opened a cupboard door nearly pulling it off the hinges. He pulled two guns and handed them to the other agent. "Go after the retrieval team," he ordered fearing the worst.

"What are you doing?" The agent asked staring at Jack incredulously as he pulled two more guns from the cabinet and checked their clips.

"I'm going after Summers," he responded and exited the van running as fast as he could. He was in excellent shape for a man of his age, but he wasn't as young as he used to be. He paused briefly outside the warehouse door to check his surroundings before entering the building. "Hang on Aurora," he whispered though no one was there to hear it.

Rory grimaced slightly as Slother ground his body against hers and roughly kissed her neck. "Eager aren't we," she muttered. She needed to get him to lower her arms just a bit and she was sure she would then be able to get the knife. Rory lifted her right foot and trailed the tip of her shoe up his leg opening up her body to him. She draped her leg around his waist and as predicted Slother relaxed slightly. 'Moron' she thought shifting her hips slightly. He pushed harder against her in response to her new availability and continued nipping at her neck. "Careful now," she chided feeling his obvious desire pressing into her. "We wouldn't want you to have an accident." Through gritted teeth, she whispered slightly seductively in his ear and eyed his guard who stood nearby clearly enjoying the show. The man was positively revolting and worst of all, he was falling for it. Her eyes shot up at the glinting silver in his hand. She was so close. Rory closed her eyes thrust her hips against his once more and was met with an appreciative groan. Yes!

Rory flicked her wrist and wrenched the knife from his grasp. Her right leg slipped down off his waist and hooked around his left leg. He pulled back surprised, and ready to retaliate, but it was of no use. His ass was on the ground before he realized what was happening. The guard lunged at her firing his gun. With a flick of her wrist the knife went sailing and landing directly in his neck. Bullseye, now she only had Slother to worry about. He was trying to get to his feet and Rory moved away from him. Her leg was on fire and she glanced down at it to see blood seeping from a wound on her upper thigh. She turned on her comlink. "Base van this is Thrill. I need immediate backup at my location." Silence. "Base Van?" "Is anyone there?" she cried backing away from Slother who was slowly getting to his feet. "I need back up! Immediate back up required." There was nothing but static and in frustration she ripped the earpiece from her ear throwing it to the ground and watching as it smashed to pieces.

She turned her attention to Slother. As he lunged for her, she fought back.

Jack stopped the moment he heard her voice. She sounded terrified and it only confirmed his suspicion that something had gone terribly wrong. He tried to respond but with the interference he couldn't get through to her. He raced down the stairs to the lower level and nearly fell over a leg sticking out from under an old canvas tarp. He pulled the tarp off and found Vaughn and Zack. He checked their pulses. They were still alive and he pulled a tranq dart from each man.

"Come on," he slapped Vaughn's cheek and then Zack's but neither man rose. He had to leave them.

Jack climbed down the elevator shaft using the old metal ladder. As he neared the bottom, he could hear the sounds of a fight in progress and he drew his guns in preparation to fire if needed.

Then there was silence.

Rory delivered a final kick to Slother's chest and he went down unconscious. She fell to her knees unable to stand anymore. She didn't feel the pain in her leg from the bullet wound but she was unable to walk. Rory crawled away from him. She had to get out. She needed help and she had to find out what had happened to the others. She crawled towards Slother's guard in search of a cell phone and successfully she found one.

Jack carefully approached the room where Rory should be. There were no sounds until he heard her voice. Turning the corner he saw her standing talking on a cell phone. She was requested immediate backup and medical assistance from headquarters. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Slother.

"No!"

Rory whipped her head around at the sound of his voice and saw Jack running towards her his arms outstretched brandishing two guns. She turned to where Slother had lain unconscious and froze. He stood, bloodied and bruised pointing a gun at her. She looked down at her chest and saw the red dot wavering over her vest. The dot disappeared and she realized it was aimed at her head. The phone fell from her hand as gunfire erupted and she slammed into the ground.

Okay well what did you think? Feedback feeds the soul (and gets me to write faster!) Based on the hit stats, i know there are a ton of lurkers reading, if you like it or don't like it, whatever, speakup! Wouldn't it be cool to double the feedback posts in one chapter?

Well a girl can dream anyways.

Hope you liked it.

Part 4 Review Replies

Uptown Girlï  lol I'm glad you liked it

Tallyï  Wow! Thank you so much for your review, I'm really happy that you're enjoying the story. I'm having a blast writing it.

Agent Flamingoï  you're hillarious! I'm not telling lol

Landiï  you are awesome, without fail, every single chapter and always first. You are da bomb!


	6. Part Six: Of Crosses & Transfusions

A/N-- Please forgive me if I've butchured the medical aspects of this chapter.  
and at the end of the chapter is a similar scene to one that happened in alias. Kudos go to whomever can identify it.

Illusion has been nominated in the Work in Progress Category of the Quarterly Alias Fanfic Awards go to

www (dot) digitcorp (dot) com (slash) aliasfanfic

if you're interested in voting.

Illusion Of Sin  
Part Six: Of Crosses and Transfusions

Zack leaned against the wall watching Rory. She sat rigidly on an orange plastic chair in the hospital waiting room. Her hands were clasped together and her injured leg lay bandaged and elevated on another chair. She hadn't spoken a word since he and Vaughn had found her hunched over Jack Bristow pressing her hands against his wounds and screaming for help nearly an hour before.

Sighing Zack turned away and walked towards a vending machine. He deposited a few coins and retrieved a bottle of water.

"Zack?" Vaughn came up behind him. "Have you talked to her yet?"

"She won't say anything. I don't think we should push her-"

"I talked to Dixon, he's on his way in. He wants to know what happened-"

"I understand the importance of it Uncle Mike, but she's scared. I think something terrible might have happened-"

"Zack, our retrieval teams were ambushed, we were tranqued, satellite, infrared, and communications went down. Richards is dead, Slother is dead, the guard is dead, Jack might die and she is the only one who knows what happened-"

"I know."

"Zack you need to get her to talk-"

"I know. Mike, I know," Zack cut him off and they both looked over at Rory. Her eyes were closed, her chin angled to the ceiling and her lips mouthing words neither man could hear nor understand. "I'll try."

As Zack sat down in the chair beside Rory, she didn't acknowledge his presence. He didn't know what to say to her. Both he and Vaughn had already tried but she just did not respond at all remaining almost catatonic. "Rory, you have to talk, tell me what happened. Slother may still have men after you. I know you're scared but you can't stay silent forever-"

"I screwed up. I turned my back on him," Rory explained softly her voice breaking off mid syllable. "Slother showed up, he pulled a gun on me and then killed Byron. I got control, killed the guard, took Slother down and then-"Rory bit her lip and finally turned to look at Zack. "I turned my back on him. Zack, if Agent Bristow dies, it's my fault." Rory's voice trembled as she spoke trying to fight back the tears and feelings of guilt that were threatening to overwhelm her. "Zack, I screwed up. I turned my back on Slother and Bristow saved my life. If he dies-"Rory was unable to finish the sentence and she blinked the tears from her eyes.

"He's a strong guy Rory, don't give up on him too easily." Unsure of what to do or say to offer her any comfort Zack settled for putting his arm around her and Rory dropped her head to his shoulder.

"I don't know how to do this anymore Zack," Rory's voice trembled as she spoke. "I did something today that I am so ashamed of. I wanted that information from Slother so badly that I was willing to do anything to get it. Anything."

"What information?" Zack looked down at her and saw the fear in her eyes. The fear of herself and her actions and he had to wonder what she had done.

"Why his boss wanted me."

"Wait Slother's boss?" Zack asked visibly confused.

Rory nodded in confirmation. "Slother was hired by this man who wants me. I wasn't just a random choice within the agency and now Slother's dead and Byron too and we're worse off than we were before-"

"What information did Slother give you?" Vaughn asked kneeling down beside Rory's chair. He'd been listening to her and Zack's conversation from the other side of the wall.

Rory blinked away a few tears and cast her eyes down at him. "Slother said his boss wanted to settle an old score, which doesn't make sense because I've only been active in LA for a few months-"

"Jack Bristow?"

At the mention of their superiors name both Zack and Vaughn stood and the doctor approached them.

"Are you family?" The ER doctor asked crossing his arms over his blood splattered scrubs.

"We're the closest he has to it. How is he?" Vaughn asked apprehensively meeting the doctor's gaze.

"He's alive. We managed to stabilize him for now, but he is going to need surgery very soon. Whoever gave him first aid until the paramedics got there probably saved his life"

Rory only half listened to the doctor as he explained Jack's prognosis to Zack and Vaughn. Dixon arrived in the middle of it and much had to be restated. She tried to listen but the doctor's words didn't seem to register in her brain. All she could think of was Jack Bristow and the look on his face when he'd ran to her firing wildly at Slother, knocking her to the ground and saving her life. The feel of his blood all over her hands was burned into her senses and she would never forget the only word he'd uttered before surrendering to the darkness and slipping into unconsciousness. 'Sydney.'

"We need to get him into surgery right away, but until we get the back up blood from Angel of Mercy Hospital, I can't risk it."

"Can we give any?" Zack asked.

The doctor shook his head. "Mr. Bristow's blood type is rather rare O-Negative and he can only receive transfusions with O-Negative blood so unless you're o-neg than I'm afraid not.

Dixon, Zack and Vaughn all shook their heads no. Rory looked up at them forcing the words out. "I am."

"Your blood type is O Neg?" the doctor asked surprised and Rory nodded. "You'd be willing to donate?"

Rory nodded numbly. "Can I see him before the surgery?"

The doctor nodded and called two nurses over. "Take her to exam three and prep her for patient to patient transfusion and I want you to bag two liters. Call the OR and tell them we're coming up."

"Aurora are you sure about this?" Dixon asked.

Rory nodded silently, Dixon's use of her full name made her cringe remembering how Slother had said it. Jack had saved her life and now she had a favor to return.

As the nurse wheeled her into the exam room Rory caught sight of Jack immediately. It was impossible to envision this once strong and seemingly invincible man laying ashen on a hospital gurney with machines keeping him alive. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she'd have never believed it. He'd risked his life to save hers and that risk she couldn't understand. In the six days since this entire nightmare had begun she'd heard a lot about Jack Bristow and that information hadn't been kind. He was a good agent, one of the best but he was also considered a cold and heartless SOB whose dedication to the job consumed his life. Rory was only a junior agent, expendable, but still he'd come into that building after her, without any back up or proper protection. It didn't make sense.

Rory stood from the wheelchair and gripped the metal rails of the gurney. He looked so pale as if life itself had left his body. She reached out to his hand but pulled back hesitantly.

"You can touch him."

Rory glanced up at the nurse who stood on the opposite side of the gurney monitoring Jack's vitals. She smiled slightly. "Can he hear me?"

"Possibly. He's been in and out of consciousness since he was brought in," the nurse said coming around the side of the bed. She touched Rory's shoulder reassuringly. "But he's a tough guy, he is holding his own. Your grandfather has a fighting chance."

"Oh, he's not my grandfather," Rory said surprised. "We're not related at all."

"Oh pardon me dear." The nurse double checked Jack's chart embarrassed and stumbling over her words. "You both have such a rare blood type I just assumed... I'm sorry."

"That's okay," Rory shook her head and looked back at Jack. "Mr. Bristow doesn't have any family." She reached out her hand to his and tentatively touched the tips of his fingers. They were so cold. Rory reached for the gold cross around her neck and unhooked the chain. She had never been a very religious person but the cross had been her mother's and it meant the world to her.

Jack's eyes fluttered open as Rory stared at the pendant swinging before his eyes. She whispered a silent prayer and Jack mumbled something incoherent while trying to focus on the necklace. Rory threaded the chain through her fingers and dropped it into the palm of Jack's hand. She closed his fingers around it forming a fist and closed her hands around his as if trying to warm his frigid skin. Leaning she pressed her lips to the cool skin of his cheek. "Thank you for saving my life Mr. Bristow," Rory whispered fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her.

"He's trying to say something," the nurse noted leaning in closer.

Jack's eyes flitted around for a moment trying to focus. He looked down at his hand and Rory's blinking rapidly trying to clear the haze from his vision. His eyes locked on the cross and tried to speak but the words would not come.

"What is it Mr. Bristow?" Rory asked in a soft voice.

Jack tried again and this time was able to vocalize the words he wanted so desperately to be heard. "My Sydney."

Rory stood straight and gently pulled her hands from his. "I'm really sorry Mr. Bristow, she's gone."

The doctor entered the exam room and instructed Rory to lay down on the bed next to Jack. The nurses quickly set about beginning the transfusion and before long Rory was staring at the thin plastic tubing that was filled with her blood and was travelling into Jack. She looked over at Jack; he was watching her too. His eyes remained locked on her face until the nurse injected him with a drug to put him to sleep and his eyes fluttered closed.

As Vaughn glanced at the clock he decided it must have been going backwards. He leaned forwards in his seat and gently rubbed his right thigh where he'd been hit with the tranq dart. He and Zack had been taken completely unaware as they retreated to the rendezvous point. They'd been shot with tranq darts from behind not even giving them a chance to warn the others. He looked over to Zack who was pacing the floor again. Rory had been gone for twenty minutes now and he was obviously worried about her.

Rory.

With chaotic circumstances of the past few days he hadn't had time to really think about her. He'd worked closely with Zack and Rory to plan the operation and Jack had finalized every detail. He was pleased to find that Rory lived up to her reputation. She was extremely dedicated to her job, worked until every detail and possibility had been accounted for. Her linguistics and code deciphering abilities were the best he'd seen in years and there was a kindness to her, an innocence that she held onto.

She trained hard and long putting in more hours than most and Vaughn attributed part of that to her lack of a personal life. She didn't seem to have any friends in LA. She lived by herself and took courses online so other than the few she'd made at work, she seemed quite lonely. He looked to Dixon for the third time in as many minutes. "Dixon?"

"Dixon?"

"Yes Vaughn," Dixon turned slightly in his seat.

"Agent Summers does she..." Vaughn's voice trailed off unsure of how to broach the subject.

"Spit it out Vaughn."

"Does she ever remind you of someone?"

"Are we speaking of someone in particular?"

Vaughn nodded. "Sydney."

"I suppose there are some aspects of her that do resemble Sydney; in this line of work that's not uncommon. Over the years there have been many agents that have reminded me of her."  
  
"More so than usual," Vaughn sighed. "When I first met her, I almost thought she was Sydney."

"Vaughn, Sydney's been dead for twenty years. I'll admit when I first met Summers, I did notice the resemblance, but that's all there is, just a resemblance."

"Right, that's all there is." He turned at the sound of Rory's voice. The nurse was pushing her wheelchair into the waiting room.

"Rory are you alright?" Zack crouched in front of the wheelchair his face marred with concern, as she was as white as a sheet. 

"She'll be fine," the nurse squeezed Rory's shoulder slightly. "She's just very weak right now. All she needs is some rest, a good meal and some time to build up her strength. We took a bit more blood than she could have handled due to her injury."

"Rory?" Zack took her hand.

"I'm fine Zack," she made a feeble attempt at squeezing his hand but it was useless, everyone could see how exhausted she was. "Mr. Bristow?" she asked the nurse.

"Oh he'll be in surgery for a couple hours darling, you best just go home and get some rest, come back tomorrow, doctors orders. Mr. Bristow seems like one tough cookie, I don't think he's planning on dying any time soon. You just saved his life." The nurse patted her shoulder and nodded to the men before leaving.

Zack stood and moved behind the wheelchair. "I'll take you back to the safehouse."

"No," Rory shook her head in protest. "I want to stay until Agent Bristow is out of surgery."

"Agent Summers," Dixon stood reigning his authority. "Go home and get some rest, that's an order. We'll call when there is news."

Rory knew better than to protest Dixon's orders so she went with Zack. They rode home in almost complete silence. Zack attempted to get more information out of her, about what had happened with Slother, about what she'd supposedly done but it was of no use. Rory wouldn't speak to him. In addition to not speaking to him every time he'd tried to touch her she flinched away. He couldn't so much as take her hand or help her into the car, even though her injured leg made it impossible to walk unassisted. Even though she wouldn't talk to him, or even acknowledge his presence, Zack watched Rory out of the corner of his eye the entire drive and he didn't miss the tiny tears that were wiped from her eyes.

When they reached the safehouse Rory attempted to exit the car by herself, which quickly proved to be a mistake. Zack managed to get to her just in time as her leg gave way. Slowly he lowered her body to the ground. She was angry now. The tears had given way to pure frustration and cursing as she was denied the simplest of tasks.

"Wait for me," Zack instructed and hurried to the front door. He unlocked it, opened the door wide and disarmed the security system. As he turned around he wasn't surprised to see that Rory hadn't waited for him. She was attempting to stand on her own.

Her attempts though well meaning were not successful and before Zack could get to her Rory slammed into the ground scraping her elbows and forearms on the brick walkway. She lashed out swearing and hitting the pavement with her fist in anger.

"Hey, hey, hey," Zack scolded her falling to his knees. "There's no need for that." He caught her fist easily and scrutinized her scraped knuckles. One glance at her face told him that she was a lot worse off than she'd let on in the hospital and the fall had only furthered her exhaustion. Her head hung limply chin to chest as if the simple act of holding it up was impossible. He squatted beside her body and placed one arm behind her back and the other under her legs. "Arms around my neck," he ordered.

Rory refused. "You're not carrying me, I can walk."

"No you can't. Now stop being so god damned stubborn Aurora," Zack was beginning to lose patience with her now.

Detecting the trace of anger in his voice, Rory obeyed and on the count of three Zack lifted her into his arms. It wasn't exactly easygoing getting her into the house but Zack managed and then gently deposited her on the sofa. He immediately noticed the blood seeping through the bandage and her sweatpants and went in search of the first aid kit and a pair of his pants for her.

"I can do it."

Zack ignored her request and placed a blanket over waist to give her some bit of privacy. "Hold onto my shoulders," he instructed and grudgingly she did enabling Zack to lift her slightly and pull the blood soaked pants from her waist. He pulled the pants down over her legs before tossing them into a plastic garbage bag. He sat in front of her on the coffee table gently lifting her leg into his lap. Zack noticed Rory's breathing begin to labor as he removed the bandages. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hands fisted at her sides. "Hey," Zack placed his hand on her upper thigh above the wound, his fingers slipping under the blanket. Rory opened her eyes and her hands relaxed slightly at the sound of his voice taking her mind off the pain. "I was thinking that in a few weeks when your leg is better, we should go to a Kings game."

"That would be nice," Rory smiled slightly knowing full well that it would never happen. Zack was her handler, which meant they weren't supposed to be seen in public together.

"Yeah." Zack moved his hand from her leg and held it out to her, "give me your hands." He watched Rory curiously follow his instructions and retrieved a fresh pack of gauze 4x5's from the kit. "This is going to hurt," he warned her and firmly pressed the gauze against her wound.

Rory gasped at the sudden contact and immense pain that followed. She gripped Zack's hand tightly and found herself looking into his eyes finding the dark depths rather soothing.

Zack didn't break the contact of her eyes as he pressed the gauze even harder against Rory's wound eliciting a cross between a cry and a whimper. "You popped a few stitches when you fell," Zack said quietly explaining his actions, which were causing her severe pain.

Rory managed a nod and felt the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "Oh god," her voice choked out marred by a sob and entire body seemed to shudder as Zack intensified the pressure on her leg in his efforts to stop the bleeding.

Stabilizing the level of pressure on her leg Zack decided it would be a good time to question her about their earlier conversation and take her mind off the current situation. "Rory, tell me what happened with Slother. You said that you did something, what did you do?"

"No," she shook her head not wanting to relive any of those moments, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes.

"Rory please, talk to me."

Rory avoided his gaze for a few moments until the increasing pressure on her leg forced her to speak. "Slother, he, he wanted me, that he made perfectly clear. You understand what I mean when I say he wanted me?"

Zack nodded slowly knowing exactly what she meant and that knowledge was creating disturbing thoughts in his head. If Slother were still alive he'd have certainly found the guy and beat the living crap out of him even more so than Rory already had. He broke away from her gaze and pulled the gauze from her wound satisfied that the blood had slowed considerably. He dabbed at the area with antiseptic and placed a clean 4x5 on it before taping and wrapping it.

"I wanted to know why his boss wanted me, why me, and I sort of made him an offer."

As Zack placed the final pieces of tape to secure the bandages his hand began to shake. What kind of offer could she have made Slother that would cause her to feel so ashamed? What could she have possibly done... As he looked up and saw her deep blue eyes fill with tears he realized what she'd done. "You said you'd sleep with him didn't you?"

The tone of his voice sent shivers through her entire body and caused the tears to spill as she nodded, yes. Words were useless as the feelings and emotions of what she could have done betrayed her and in turn betrayed him.

Zack took the sweatpants he'd grabbed for and slid them up her injured leg and then the other. Gently he eased her leg back and stood leaning over her slightly. Knowing what he wanted Rory moved her hands to his shoulders and held tight as he took her by the waist helping her to stand before pulling the pants up and tightening the drawstring so they wouldn't fall off. As they eased back down Zack quickly became aware of the tears in her eyes as they soaked through his shirt. Rory had rested her head at the base of his throat; her hands were locked around his neck and he had to gently pry them away.

Rory sat back on the couch and watched Zack busy himself cleaning up the bandages and first aid supplies. "Zack," she reached out to him and caught his wrist but he pulled away quickly. "Zack, I know you're a little angry, but please talk to me. Please just say something." If his anger didn't kill her, his silence would.

"Angry? I'm a little angry, just a little angry?" He nearly shouted at her and she shrunk back from his words. "God Rory, you told the guy you'd have sex with him. What the hell were you thinking?"

He was shouting now, far angrier and far louder than Rory had anticipated. Her chin started to tremble and her voice wavered as she began to cry harder. "I didn't do it."

"How could you even think about it? How could you even have considered it?" He crossed his arms over his chest and paced the floor in front of the couch.

"I just needed to know Zack. You have no idea what not knowing was doing to me."

"Nothing is worth giving yourself like that Rory. Nothing."

His hands were on her now as he spoke that last sentence, gripping her upper arms tightly as he spoke. With each word, his grasp seemed to get tighter and tighter and Rory suddenly felt quite scared. She had never seen Zack like this. She'd never seen him so angry. His eyes were so dark they seemed black and his face appeared to be contorted in pain, but he had no pain. "Please stop," her voice was a quiet plead that he never heard.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"

Zack's hands were shaking and he let go of Rory, but not kindly. In his angered state, he didn't know his own strength and in her weakened state she didn't have any. As Zack released his hold on her arms, Rory's head snapped back smashing against the hard top of the sofa. She winced at the contact, her face twisted in pain and her lungs trying to grasp any oxygen, but Zack didn't seem to notice as he resumed his pacing.

"Do you have any idea what he could have done to you? How he could have hurt you? He could have raped you right then and there, taken away everything. Christ Rory, what the hell were you thinking? You have no idea what kind of a woman you are, what you do to men." Zack turned away from her his shaking hands formed fists. He faced the wall and without warning he slammed into it breaking through the plaster. His knuckles were bleeding when he pulled them out and he leaned his forehead against the wall breathing deeply and trying to calm down. It was then that he noticed how quiet Rory had been during the last few minutes. "Aren't you going to say anything?" His voice was still full of anger, but it was calmer now. "Rory?" he turned back to her and his heart nearly jumped into his throat. She was clutching the back of her head in pain, her mouth open in silent cries. Zack ran to her smashing his leg on the coffee table but he ignored the pain. "What is it?" he sat down on the coffee table and pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket ready to call for an ambulance. He quickly deemed the situation wasn't serious enough to warrant a hospital visit and the phone fell from his hand as he leaned forwards. He reached out to touch her, but the look of absolute terror on her face as she recoiled from his touch prevented him from trying again. "It's just me."

She was scared of him.

It took a moment for the shock to register in his mind as he took in the situation. Rory was pulling away from him, her body shaking so badly and her face so white it made his stomach sick.

"It's just me, it's just Zack. Rory please I'm sorry I should never have yelled at you," he whispered. His hand stretched out shaking slightly as he reached for her cupping his hand on the side of her face. She seemed to calm considerably and he stood slowly, removing his hand from her face and careful not to make any sudden movements that would scare her again. He sat to her left on the couch and slowly put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm so sorry." He was surprised at how easily she relaxed into his touch.

"It's not you," she sniffed still trying to catch her breath. She didn't tell him that he'd hurt her, it would have only made him angrier with himself. She was faintly aware of his right hand rubbing her shoulder gently and his left resting on her knees. She fiddled with the cuff of her sweatshirt touching his fingers slightly.

"Talk to me," Zack said softly and moved his hand to tuck her head down on his shoulder before returning to its place around her shoulders.

"Byron," she whispered into his neck, her cries now silent. "I knew he was the mole, but hearing him actually say it... he wasn't at all the person I thought he was. He betrayed me. He sold my life for a profit."

"Shhh," he whispered close to her ear and continued rubbing her shoulder. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make the situation any better.

Rory continued to play with the cuff of her sleeve and drew the tips of her fingers across Zack's hand. Slowly she took his left hand in hers, gripping it tightly and slid down on her right side onto the sofa taking him with her.

Zack didn't protest. To be honest he wasn't sure what to think as he lay on his side behind Rory on the sofa, his hand clutched tight in hers, wrapped protectively around her body and held to her chest. She adjusted slightly, pulling his arm tighter around her body and let out a small hiccuped sigh.

"Rory?"

"I just want to stay here for a while."

Rory's voice trembled slightly as she spoke and Zack propped his head up with his right hand watching as she ever so gently pressed her lips to his bloody knuckles. He didn't feel pain, only the kindness he didn't quite deserve as she kissed them better. She spoke again, barely above a whisper, utterly exhausted.

"If that's okay?"

He didn't answer her. Part of him knew he should have but instead he moved her hair aside and gently kissed her left cheek in response before settling down and pulling her tight against his body.


	7. Part Seven: Dasies of Remembrance

A/Nï  I have an illusion of sin poll up to choose the parts of Zack and Rory, I hope you'll all check it out and vote. The address is below or you can just click on the "homepage" link on my profile

www (dot) TessaAllenOnline (dot) com (slash) illusion (slash) illusioncast (dot) htm

(just fill in the dots and slashes lol)

Hope you enjoy! And don't forget to give feedback!

Illusion of Sin  
Part 7 : Daisies of Remembrance

The obstruction in his nose was the first thing Jack noticed as his eyes blinked open. The light was blinding and he shut them quickly with a groan. His nose twitched trying to rid the foreign object but without success. His mouth was dry, but he managed to croak out a sound as he tried to think of where he was.

"Time to wake up, Mr. Bristow," an annoying sing song voice lulled him out of the darkness once more.

Jack opened his eyes grimacing at the bright light. He blinked rapidly trying to clear his blurred vision. It was then that he saw the owner of the voice and he realized he was in the hospital.

"What happened?" he grimaced slightly and tried to sit up.

"Whoa, hang on there Slugger," the nurse gently pushed him back down. "You were shot, do you remember?"

He did remember. As his eyes closed he could remember everything. Richards' setup, tightening Agent Summers' kevlar vest, Morrison's phone call, the documents, finding Vaughn and Zack tranqued, seeing Slother point the gun at Summers and running to her-

Rory.

Was she all right? He thought he could remember her screaming for help.

"I remember," he said softly. "There was a girl-"his voice broke off in a fit of coughing and the nurse grabbed a cup and straw from the bedside table and held his head up so he could drink.

"Easy there, take it slow," she cautioned as Jack sipped the water. "There was a young girl here before you went into surgery," she confirmed. "She had long dark hair and big eyes. Sweet little thing, she gave you a blood transfusion, it saved your life."

Jack smiled pulling away from the cup. "Sydney," he said raspy.

The nurse furrowed her brow trying to think and set the cup back on the table. "No that wasn't her name," she shook her head. "It was unusual, a boys name... It was Ryan? No not Ryan, Rory. Yes it was Rory. Very sweet girl, she was very worried about you."

"A blood transfusion?"

"Yes," the nurse nodded and began checking the levels on the IV's. "It was quite a miracle really. Lucky for you she had the same blood type. We had a major vehicular trauma just before you came in and were running low on blood. If she hadn't been here, there is a good chance you wouldn't be here."

Jack closed his eyes trying to process everything the nurse had told him and he remembered Rory's blood. He remembered trying to focus on her face as she dangled a cross in front of his eyes. Her lips had been warm on his cheek, almost comforting and he remembered watching her face as the blood flowed from her body into his. He also remembered the pain in her face when she was talking on the cell phone, requesting back up.

"She was injured."

"Yes she was," the nurse began making notations on Jack's chart, surprised that he was as lucid as he was following surgery. "She had a gunshot wound to her leg and lost a bit of blood. She wasn't doing so hot after the transfusion but we sent her home with strict instructions to get some rest. She should be fine now."

"I need to see Dixon," Jack grimaced in pain pulling at his oxygen tube and trying to sit up again.

"Oh, I don't think so Mr. Bristow," the nurse pushed him back on the bed again and quickly elevated his pain medication. "You need to rest. You're not going anywhere and that is Nurse Mackie's orders."

The last thing Jack could think of before he drifted off to sleep pain free was that Nurse Mackie could give old Director Kendall a run for his money in the annoyance department.

The afternoon sun was peeking through the living room blinds creating a glow across Rory's face. Zack checked his watch. He'd been watching her sleep for hours now, but it didn't feel that long. After Rory had pulled him down on the couch with her, they'd slept for a few hours and once he woke it took some careful maneuvering over the back of the sofa to slip out from behind her without waking her. It had been particularly difficult since she had managed to pull his left hand under her head like a pillow and wind her hands around his.

It had felt so comfortable and natural sleeping with her like that, as if the simple act had been performed hundreds of times before. The problem was that it shouldn't have been so comfortable. Zack knew he should have refused but Rory had been a mess. She had been so scared early that morning. She'd been afraid of Slother, she'd killed a man, feared for Jack Bristow's life, been ashamed of what she'd done and Zack had made everything ten times worse by yelling at her. When he thought about it, he wished to god that there were some way he could take it back. The gunshot wound and blood transfusion had left Rory so weak she could barely stand unassisted and then he'd taken out his anger on her.

He was sure the thing that weighed most heavily on her mind was Byron Richard's betrayal. Every time they went into the field, she'd trusted him with her life and every time unknowing to her, her partner had betrayed her.

Zack smiled slightly remembering how even in slumber. Rory had continuously tried to pull him closer. It was comforting to him to know that he'd helped, even in the slightest. Although he knew he'd broken every rule in the handler/asset book and he didn't seem to care, which was why it was making what he had to do so difficult.

He looked over at his suitcase sitting near the door. He didn't want to leave, but he had to. After what had happened last night, there was no turning back.

When he'd woken and slipped out from behind Rory, he watched her sleep peacefully for a few moments and then went in search of a distraction. Tequila. He'd found the half empty bottle under the kitchen sink and proceeded to sit at the dining room table, watching Rory while he drank glass after glass, trying to rid his mind of the conjured image of Rory and Slother together.

Zack had shot out of his seat at the sound of her cry. He knelt on the floor in front of her and realized that she was dreaming. Her eyes were still closed and moved rapidly beneath the lids but she was quiet again. In his hand was the glass of tequila he'd just poured. He sipped it slowly already on his way to getting drunk and brought his other hand up to the crown of her head stroking her hair softly. Her lips parted and mouthed words he could not hear, nor understand. His hand left the top of her head and his fingers danced lightly over skin. He trailed them, barely touching her skin, down her neck, over her shoulders, up to her face. Forehead, cheeks, freckles, eyes and lips. She was so peaceful and innocent and completely unaware of what she did to him. When she'd been drunk, that was a mistake. They'd grown into friends now and those had been her words. At least they'd accomplished that much and there could be nothing more. He took another sip of the drink and then frowned seeing Rory tense up obviously disturbed in her sleep. He leaned forwards and whispered in her ear but she didn't wake. The pain medication she'd been given at the hospital was doing its job well and she was completely under.

Rory moved her head slightly as he drew back and his lips brushed over her cheek. It felt so completely wrong but the funny thing was that he didn't pull away. Gently he pressed his lips to her cheek. The simple touch of his lips on her skin left him breathless and wanting more. He kissed her cheek again and again. Rory shifted her head still unaware of what was going on and this time Zack kissed her lips. She let out a small sound, a cross between a moan and a sigh but did not stir and Zack smiled. He traced the edge of her lips with his finger and then kissed her again. This time, though still in her drugged state, Rory responded and kissed him back, her lips pressing firmly against his. Zack pulled away quickly, his mind racing. That wasn't supposed to happen, none of this was and he knew what he had to do. He stood and then leaned over her kissing her cheek one last time. "Good bye Rory."  
  
Zack walked back to the dining room table and poured the last bit of tequila into his glass. He picked it up and walked to the window looking out at the night sky. It wasn't a clear night, but overcast with heavy dark clouds. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

"Hi Uncle Mike it's Zack... yeah she's sleeping. How's Agent Bristow? He's going to be all right though right? Good. Listen I need a favor. I need someplace else to stay either a new safehouse or I go back to my own apartment. As soon as you can. I know it's late, just please do your best...no I can't go into it. It's just..." Zack looked over at Rory and shook his head. "It's personal alright, please just do your best. Thanks, I'll talk to you later."

Zack downed the last of his glass then and sat down at the dining room table so he could watch Rory. He still sat there hours later just watching Rory sleep when his ride came.

The late dawn was just breaking as Zack grabbed his suitcase and went out the front door. He paused momentarily and looked back at Rory's sleeping figure on the sofa. "I'm sorry." Then he was gone.

Half way across the world, there was another who was not at all pleased with the outcome of Byron Richards' setup.

He threw his cell phone across the room in anger narrowly missing the other occupant of the room who shifted uneasily quite nervous with his boss's behavior.

"What would you like me to do Sir? We could ambush the van on her way to the office and take her?"

"No," his boss shook his head thoughtfully. "If we take her against her will, we're no worse off than not having her at all." He pulled a knife from his desk drawer and pointed the tip into the desktop. Slowly he turned it in a circle and grated the blade into the expensive mahogany wood. "Do any of them suspect who she really is?"

The associate shook his head. "Slother didn't give any information away and Richards didn't know anything." He resumed his seat in front of the desk. "Surveillance hasn't reported anything that would indicate that the CIA might know who she really is-"

"Morons," the boss shook his head. "You know Palmer, that's what I really love about this entire situation. The CIA, the ones who should know, haven't got a fucking clue. They have no idea what they've got on their hands." He laughed and shook his head. "For now, we're going to back off. Let her get used to feeling secure, then we'll take what is most precious..."

The ringing was annoying. It was more the annoyance than the sound that woke Rory. She sat up slowly her muscles screaming with every motion. If the events of the day before hadn't been enough, sleeping on the couch hadn't made it any better.

"Hello?" she said in a sleep-drugged voice as she answered her cell phone.

"Agent Summers?"

"Yes?" Rory blinked her eyes open. She covered the mouthpiece of the phone and called Zack's name but he didn't answer. "Oh hi Agent Vaughn. Sorry I just woke up, I'm still a little drugged from the pain medication." She spotted a note on the coffee table and reached for it.

"How are you doing?"

"I'll be fine. How is Agent Bristow?" Rory only half paid attention to Agent Vaughn as she unfolded the note. She recognized Zack's handwriting immediately. He should have been a doctor with that chicken scratch she thought.

"Agent Bristow is holding his own, he'll be fine."

"That's a relief..." Rory's breath hitched as she began to read the note. Hot tears twitched her eyes threatening to spill over. A thousand questions filled her mind and Agent Vaughn was forgotten on the phone.

"Agent Summers are you there?"

"What? Yes I'm sorry," Rory crumpled the note in her hand.

"Marshall Flinkman and his wife Carrie, are going to stop by to check on you. They should be there soon." There was silence on the other end and finally Vaughn ventured to ask, "Summers are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine," she answered quickly, maybe a little too quickly. "Could you just ask the guard to let them in? I'm not so confident about making it to the door-"

"Of course," Vaughn paused for a moment. "Rory, I'm very happy that you're alright." He heard a small whimper on the other end and once again asked if he was all right. She said she was, but he knew better and he was sure it had something to do with Zack. After informing Rory that Marshall and Carrie would bring her into work he ended the call and returned to the mountain of paperwork sitting on his desk.

Rory dropped the phone from her hand without even disconnecting and stared at Zack's note. She had difficulty deciphering some of the words but she didn't need the paper anymore. His words were burned into her memory.

_Rory_

_You're still sleeping and I don't want to wake you. _

_I'm going home now. With Slother gone, there isn't any reason to keep me at the safehouse. Hopefully you'll get to go home soon as well. _

_I'll see you at the office, but remember if you need anything--you have my number._

_Zack_

To say she was angry would be an understatement. To say she was hurt would be the truth. He could have woken her, he could have said goodbye, let her know he was leaving but he didn't and she felt so alone. She'd never felt as alone as she did right then and Rory wished she'd never come to LA. Her entire life had somehow gotten so out of control and she couldn't talk to anyone about it. Zack had been the only person who'd come close but the one person who'd always been there for her was now left in the dark. She was lying to her father. Every time she talked to him, their conversations were filled with lies and secrets and all she wanted was to see him and to tell him the truth. All she wanted was to be his daughter again, his little Aurora. All she wanted was for him to tell her in that strong, authoritative, kind voice that everything would be all right, but he couldn't, he couldn't know the truth.

Rory lay back down on the sofa curling her body as best she could with her injured leg and she cried. She cried for everything that was wrong. She cried for distancing her father, for Zack leaving her, for Byron, Jack Bristow and for the mother she'd never had the chance to know. The tears would not stop. There was no one to wish them away or to hold her tightly and tell her that everything would be all right. There was only silent sobs and gasping breaths echoing throughout the empty house.

She felt nothing inside, though her tears still fell. She no longer felt pain, or heartache, guilt or love. She felt only exhaustion and the emptiness of anything good. The only emotion she was sure of was loneliness. It was the only one that could sneak up on you when you least expect it, like an enemy planning a blind attack and tear your heart apart. It was all she ever seemed to feel since she'd come to LA; except when she was with Zack.

"Agent Summers?" a female voice called from the entranceway.

Rory sat up quickly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm in here."

A few moments later a man and woman, both with dark brown hair entered. "Hi," the woman came up to her and extended her hand. "Agent Summers, I'm Carrie Bowman and this is my husband Marshall Flinkman."

"Hi," Rory gripped her hand tightly and smiled at them both. "Please, call me Rory. It's so nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you both."

"All good I hope," Marshall laughed awkwardly.

"Of course," Rory smiled and took his hand. "Both Agent Vaughn and Agent Weiss speak very highly of you both. They were both happy to hear that you would be returning from Virginia." She looked down at Marshall's hand, which was still holding hers very tightly. "Is everything okay Mr. Flinkman?"

"What?" He asked furrowing his brow. "Please, call me Marshall" He glanced down at their tightly clasped hands. "I'm sorry, you just... you remind me of someone."

"No problem," she shrugged pulling her hand away. "I get that a lot, just one of those faces I guess."

"Marshall," Carrie interrupted. "Why don't you go make some coffee and I'll help Rory here."

"Yes dear."

Marshall gave them a small wave before he headed towards the kitchen and Carrie helped Rory stand and walked her into the bathroom. She helped Rory change the bandage on her leg and then left her to take a shower. Twenty minutes and another clean and dry bandage later Rory emerged from the bathroom to the smell of bacon, eggs and French toast. The breakfast table was full of laughter and interesting stories about 'the good old days' according to Carrie. It was the first time in days that Rory laughed. Carrie had even conned Marshall into telling them about some of the costumes Director Dixon had been forced to wear during his time at SD-6. Before long it was time to go and Marshall produced a cane for Rory to use to help her walk on her injured leg. The ride to the office was full of Marshall's incessant chatter and it helped to keep Rory's mind off the upcoming debrief and Zack's sudden departure from the safehouse.

Dixon slammed down his phone in frustration. He'd been up all night going over every detail of Byron Richards reports and missions and trying desperately to find out when he had been turned. It seemed very likely that for the past four months ever since Aurora Summers had begun working at the Task Force, her partner Byron Richards had been working for the enemy, but before that, he had been loyal to the CIA. Rory had been targeted since the very beginning. The question was why.

He picked up an unmarked folder from the pile on his desk and recognized it immediately. Agent Morrison in security had given it to him earlier that morning along with all the other information they had on Andrei Slother. That particular file had been amongst the information Jack Bristow had requested prior to their failed set up operation.

He opened the file and his eyes widened in surprise. It was information on Agent Summers. Why had Jack requested original copies of her background information? Quickly Dixon pulled up Summers' information on his computer. It was only then that he noticed several bits of information were missing. According to the CIA computer her name was Aurora F. Summers, but the birth certificate Jack had uncovered listed her as Aurora Francine Summers. Her parents were Katherine Johnson Summers-a teacher and Jonah Summers-a construction worker. Her mother's name and her parents' occupations were also new information. Why would Jack be so interested in her background... As Dixon stared at Rory's ID picture on the computer screen, it was then that things suddenly began to fit into place. Aurora's blood type was O-Negative. Jack Bristow's blood type was O-Negative—

"Director Dixon?"

"Yes Mary." Dixon looked up as his secretary knocked and then entered his office.

"You wanted to know if anything interesting came through for Agent Summers. We just had a call routed through the publishing company front for her. I believe it was her father, I put it through to her voicemail."

"Thank you Mary." Dixon nodded and his eyes returned to the picture of Agent Summers on his computer screen. He picked up the phone and connected to the security station. "This is Director Dixon, I need you to connect me to Agent Aurora Summers' voicemail."

The officer quickly connected Dixon and in a matter of seconds he was listening to Rory's voicemail.

"Hi it's Rory, I'm away from the office right now so please leave me a message."

"Rory, it's your dad." Dixon shut his eyes and rubbed them fiercely as he instantly recognized the voice of Rory's father. "Give me a call alright, I haven't heard from you in a while. I miss you. I love you Ror. Call me back."

Dixon set the phone back down with a quiet click. For as long as he would live he'd never forget that man's voice. Quickly he brought up another file on his computer. William D. Tippin. His Witness Protection name was Jonah Nemec. He'd disappeared from Protective Custody twenty years earlier, several months before Sydney's death. It was his voice on Rory's answering machine. His name was Jonah Summers. He was her father.

Dixon typed the last name into his computer system, Sydney A. Bristow. She'd died twenty years ago. He'd gone to her funeral. Her blood type was O-Negative, Jack Bristow's blood type was O-Negative and Aurora Summers' blood type was O-Negative. It was so simple. Dixon leaned back in his chair his gaze reverting back and forth between the pictures on his computer and the one in the file on his desk. They looked so similar, the nose, the smile, the dimples, and he hated himself for not pursuing it before, for not putting the pieces together. They'd all had feelings. They'd all noticed the resemblance; the eerie similarities and they'd all brushed them aside as nothing more than coincidence.

Sydney Bristow had a daughter. Now her daughter was working for the CIA, in the very office her mother had once worked. Was it coincidence? Or had someone been pulling the strings, manipulating the situation and they'd known exactly who Aurora Summers was.

Dixon stood and shoved Rory's files into the locked portion of his desk. He grabbed his coat and strode out of his office barely stopping to speak to his secretary. "Cancel my morning meetings and postpone the debrief until this afternoon. I'm going to see Jack Bristow."

Zack tried to catch Rory as she entered The Rotunda with Marshall and Carrie. Marshall intercepted him almost immediately and Rory disappeared to Medical Services. It would be well over an hour before she would emerge. Zack called her name as he followed her down the hallway and she turned her eyes meeting his briefly before she entered Dr. Barnet's office and he was left outside the door.

The look on Rory's face when she'd seen him... he instantly regretting leaving her like he did, but he'd kissed her, it was wrong and he just didn't trust himself with her. She was beautiful, with intense eyes, flawless skin and an innocence and naivete about her that he envied. She'd lost a lot of that innocence and naivete over the last few days and her perspective of their world was left jaded.

As the door closed behind Rory the sound of it was almost like that of a gunshot. At the warehouse during the operation he and Vaughn had woken from the tranquilizers only minutes before several gunshots sounded from somewhere below them. Moments later, Rory's screams filled the air. By the time he and Vaughn got to her she was covered in Jack Bristow's blood and her screams echoed through the night air.

Slowly Zack walked back to the Rotunda. Debrief had been postponed for a few hours which surprised him. Dixon had been insistent on hearing both his and Rory's full reports in minute detail about the operation and suddenly he'd disappeared. The added time would have given Zack plenty of opportunity to actually finish his report, but his thoughts were on her, on Rory and he couldn't concentrate.

Two hours later he finally saw her again as she was the last to arrive for the debrief leaving them no time to talk.

"Do you have anything else to add to Zack's report Vaughn?" Dixon asked.

Vaughn shook his head. "No, he covered everything from our standpoint."

"Alright, Agent Summers?" Dixon nodded to her and sat back down in his chair wearily. They'd already been in debrief for two hours now and still had to hear Rory's report.

Rory nodded slowly and gathered her thoughts before speaking. "Everything was going according to the plan. We entered the building, Agents Weiss, Vaughn, Richards, Patel, Clark and myself. We split up. Agent Richards went downstairs where the computer was set up. I went around the back and up the stairs and met Agent Vaughn and Agent Weiss. I changed and then proceeded to the catwalk and then to the elevator shaft." Rory paused momentarily and took a sip of her water. "That was the last I saw of Agent Vaughn and Weiss until the end. I didn't hear anything to indicate that they were in trouble. When I got to the basement, I surprised Agent Richards. He was downloading the information from the computer as he was instructed. For a moment I thought there was a mistake and it couldn't have been him, he couldn't have been the mole. He was my partner and my friend but we fought right away and I took him down and secured him against a steel pole in the center of the room. He said right away that he was CIA and the building was surrounded."

As Rory continued to detail the events that had taken place Zack watched her carefully. Her hands were clenched tightly around a glass of water and he wondered if it was from fear or from anger.

"I was trying to call for help on the guard's cell because my com wasn't working. There was no one on the other end, nothing but static. I heard Agent Bristow yell and I turned around. Slother was pointing the gun at my head. I'd thought he was unconscious but..." Rory's voice trailed off and she took another sip of water hoping to calm her nerves slightly. "Agent Bristow came running at me as he fired. He knocked me to the ground and then there was just silence. Slother was definitely dead, part of his skull just... wasn't there and Agent Bristow was shot two times. Agent Vaughn and Agent Weiss arrived maybe two minutes later."

Dixon was silent for several moments allowing everything to sink in before he spoke. "You're sure Andrei Slother never mentioned who his boss was."

"Positive," Rory nodded confidently. "All he said was that his boss wanted to settle an old score."

"Alright," Dixon stood and addressed the agents in the room. "File your reports and go home, get some sleep." They nodded and turned to leave. "Vaughn," Dixon called out. I'll need to see you in my office in a few minutes. Rory," he caught her just as she was about to leave. "Stay a minute."

Rory nodded and clutched the files to her chest walking over to him. Zack gave her a curious look on his way out. She ignored him. She'd been doing that all day, pretending that he didn't matter, that his absence from the safehouse didn't matter and everything was fine.

Zack went to his desk and sat down waiting for Rory to emerge from the conference room. He had to talk to her, to explain why he left, although he didn't know what he would say. Things had just gotten so complicated between them and he couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't tell her that when he was around her, he didn't trust himself. He was attracted to her, but nothing could ever happen. He was her handler and she was his asset. It was his job to keep her safe and he'd been doing a piss poor job of it lately.

Dixon exited first followed by Rory at a more leisurely pace due to her injured leg. Although the cane Marshall had given her helped, she was far from pain free.

"Rory, can we talk for a minute?" he asked catching her arm as she attempted to walk past him.

"Zack can we not do this now, please? I'm really tired and sore I just want to go home."

"Rory, please, it'll just take a minute."

"Alright fine."

"Not here," Zack looked around quickly for a secluded spot and then led her past the glass doors to area that his dad had long ago nicknamed The Flirting Corner. "We need to talk," he said as the doors closed behind him. "What did Dixon want?"

"He just asked if I was okay, if I needed anything," she replied confused knowing that that wasn't the real reason he'd pulled her aside. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked.

"I think you know what. Last night-"

"Is this about Slother?" her eyes flashed angrily. "I made a mistake Zack. Agent Bristow nearly died because of my mistake and I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life and I don't need you to rub it in."

"What? No," Zack grabbed her arm as Rory tried to leave and pulled her back to him. "This isn't about the operation. You made a mistake, you're human and Jack is going to be okay. That's not what this is about. This is about me and you and what's going on between us."

"Why did you just leave?" Rory asked quietly. "You didn't even say goodbye."

"I left you a note-"

"A note isn't goodbye," she shook her head. "I mean I'm happy that you're out of there, you can get back to leading a normal life, doing normal things. I don't know," she shrugged. "I just... why?"

Zack looked down at the floor. Could he tell her that the reason he'd left was because he kissed her? A seemingly innocent act much like the time when she had kissed him. The first time, she'd been the one who was drunk and now this time it was he. "I can't," he shook his head. "It had nothing to do with you though, it was me, it's just... are you alright? How's your leg and the bruises?

"I'm fine Zack," she swallowed hard and flashed him a weak smile but it gave away her pain instantly.

"Ror," he brought his hands to her shoulders. "I'm really sorry that I yelled at you last night. It was none of my business and I had no right. I was just angry that you were put in that position and there appeared to be nothing that I could do to stop it-"

"Zack," her hand instinctively reached up to his face. "It wasn't your fault there was-"

She was interrupted by the musical tone of her cell phone. Rory pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen. "I need to take this," she looked up at him. "It's my dad."

Zack nodded and turned to leave. "If you need anything... just call."

"I'll be fine, but thank you," she said politely and waited until Zack had left before answering her phone.

"Hi Daddy," Rory said happily and turned to face the wall, wiping the unshed tears from her eyes.

"Rory, are you alright sweetheart? I've been worried about you."

"I'm fine," she said struggling to keep the façade up.

"You don't sound fine."

"I'm just... tired," she explained. "Work's been really chaotic lately and... I just miss you."

"I miss you too." Hearing the emotion in her father's voice, Rory almost broke down crying. "When are you coming home?" he asked. "It's been over two months since the last time I saw you."

"I'm not sure Daddy," she bit her lip and walked the length of the hallway as she lied to him for the millionth time since moving to LA. "Work's just been keeping me really busy and the editor is on my back about some stuff-"

"Are you sure it's only work?"

"Of course," she said and turned to face the glass doors watching Zack speaking with Agent Vaughn.

"No boy trouble?" he teased.  
  
"I'm too busy for boys dad," she laughed.

He laughed along with her for a moment and then his voice grew serious. "I want you to make me a promise Rory," he said softly.

The lump in Rory's throat began to grow at the change in his voice and at the lies she was continually feeding her father. "Of course."

"Promise me that you won't allow your work to rule your life. It's really not worth it. I know at the moment that the publishing company may seem like the most important thing in the world but, in the grand scheme of things, it's not worth it. Have fun, make good friends, love, that's what's important in life."

"I promise," she whispered. "Dad can you hang on a minute?" Rory didn't wait for him to answer and immediately pressed the hold button. She turned and faced the wall bracing her hands against it for support and hung her head breathing deeply as the tears splashed on her cheeks. Her father couldn't know that she'd been crying. She'd been avoiding his calls all week and it would only worry him more. The lies between them were so thick now that it made Rory sick to her stomach and was such a contrast to the open truthful relationship they'd had prior to her recruitment with the CIA.

"Get a grip Rory," she chided herself and took several more deep breaths before going back to her father. "Sorry dad, I just had another call that I had to take."

"That's all right. Listen honey, I was looking at the schedule and I could take a few days off, come up and see you-"

"No," Rory answered quickly, a little too quickly. Her father couldn't know that there really was something wrong and he certainly couldn't know that she was no longer living at her apartment; her father was relentless when he was suspicious. "It's just that I'm so busy with work and I'd barely get a chance to spend any time with you. Besides, you hate LA."

"I don't hate LA," he protested.

"Okay," she laughed. "You strongly dislike LA with all the smog and crazy traffic. Look Dad, I'm working on a really big project right now but I should be done in a few weeks and then I can come home to see you."

"I'll hold you to that," he joked. "Are you sure you're alright? You don't need money or anything?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "What I would love is a stack of your delicious chocolate chip pancakes when I come home."

"Your mom loved my chocolate chip pancakes too," his voice grew quiet.

"I know, you make the best ones," her voice got quiet as well. "Are you missing her?" Rory asked knowing that her mother's birthday was coming up the next week."

"Always," he said honestly. "She would have been so proud of you."

"I hope so," Rory smiled. "Sometimes I wonder how I can miss someone so much that I never really met."

"She loved you Rory, you were her whole world before she died."

"I know, I just wish I could remember her."

"Rory, you were only eight months old when she died-"

"I know but all I have is a picture. Just one old tattered picture from over twenty years ago-"

"If I could give you more I would Rory you know that, but everything was destroyed in the fire-"

"I know, I know dad, I'm sorry. I just wish I knew her."

"You are so much like her, so much sometimes that it scares me."

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment," she smiled. "Dad, I'm sorry I have to get back to work."

"Okay Rory. Give me a call later in the week and don't work too hard."

"I won't."

"Bye honey."

"Bye Dad. Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Love you Daddy," she whispered.

"I love you too sweetheart."

"Zack, I need to talk to you."

Zack stopped and turned to Vaughn. "What is it?"

"What happened this morning? Why did you need to leave?"

"Uncle Mike... I can't," Zack shook his head.

"Zack, I've known you your entire life and I know when something's up and I know it's about Agent Summers."

"Mike-"

"Listen Zack, what ever is going on between the two of you, you need to fix it and fast." Vaughn ran a hand through his hair. "Once her leg is healed, Dixon wants to pair you two up for an operation in Canada."

"But I'm her handler," he protested. "I'm not a field agent."

"Well right now she doesn't have a partner and the two of you work well together." Vaughn lowered his voice slightly. "I don't know what is going on between the two of you, but you need to figure it out. I made a promise to your father years ago that I would always protect you and I cannot allow you to go on that operation if you are not in complete control-"

"I understand."

Rory hesitated slightly outside of the closed hospital door before she knocked and entered the room.

"Summers? What are you doing here?"

"Hi Agent Bristow." Rory approached the bed slowly; surprised to find Jack sitting up while he examined some documents only three days after his surgery. "I brought you these," she said softly holding out two bouquets of flowers. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." Jack set the file he'd been reading down and took off his glasses. He watched with interest as Rory nervously searched for a spot to place the flowers, which were already in vases. Finally she placed one on the window sill ledge and the other on the small bedside table.

"Good," she smiled faintly. "Oh the roses are from Carrie and Marshall, they came back from Virginia the other day. I don't know much about flowers, or if you even liked flowers but..." she turned and began to fuss with the stems on his bedside table

"But?"

"My mom liked daisies, they were her favorite... so I got you daisies."

Jack swallowed hard his gaze fixed on her fingers as they touched the white petals of the flowers. Sydney had always taken after her mother; Irina loved daisies. He chose his words carefully. "Does your mother live here in LA?"

"My mother died in a car accident when I was eight months old, I never really knew her."

"I'm sorry-"

"But you already knew that."

Jack's breathing shallowed slightly but years of passing lie detector tests helped prevent any fluctuations on the hospital monitors. He wondered if she knew. "Excuse me?"

"My file," she turned toward him. "It's in my file and I'm quite sure you read it prior to the operation."

Jack let out the breath he was holding unnoticed by her. "Your file is confidential."

"Nothing really ever is confidential," she said softly. "Not when you have a high enough security clearance."

Jack watched as she moved towards the window, the obvious limp in her step and he was struck at how similar she was to Sydney. They way she walked, held her head, tucked her hair behind her ear; their relationship was undeniable. "You are correct. Tell me then, your father- why did you move so much?"

"My dad is in construction," she explained. "We moved where the work was."

"That must have been difficult-"

"My dad did the best he could," she said defensively. "We lost everything in the fire and he was stuck trying to raise me without help from anyone, no family, no one-"

"I didn't mean to imply that he didn't," Jack said softly, as he knew that making her angry would not get him any information at all. "Where is he now?"

"Nevada, though I don't think he'll be there much longer. It's been almost two years. We never stay in the same place for more than two years. He is kind of a free spirit, likes to experience life, he's old school, doesn't believe in credit cards or anything, only cash."

Jack suppressed the urge to smile. He was smart; credit cards would only create an unneeded paper trail and he'd managed to keep hiding for twenty years. What Will Tippin didn't know was that now his daughter had unknowingly been brought into the very life he'd been trying to protect her from. "You mentioned a fire, that wasn't in your file. Was anyone hurt?"

"I'm not surprised, it happened so long ago. I was only four. My father was burned; he has scars on his chest and his back. We lost everything. The house, clothes, toys, all the pictures, well except the one."

Her voice had grown quiet and Jack realized that something had to be bothering her for her to talk this much. She was sad. "Except one what?"

"Picture- of my mom and dad, from before I was born. My dad gave it to me when I was six. I always keep it with me-"

"Can I see it?" He dared to pursue the conversation. He knew his curiosity was only elevating her own, but the picture, could be the final tangible proof that Aurora Summers was his daughters child, was his granddaughter.

Rory shrugged not thinking much of it. Even if she wanted to deny his request, he was her superior and she wouldn't. She took the photograph from her purse and passed it to him.

Jack hoped she hadn't noticed his slight hesitation as he unfolded the old photograph. His daughters smiling face jumped out at him and he smiled slightly. She looked so happy. She was seated on a couch beside Will Tippin, his arm around her shoulders, her head tucked against his chest and they were both smiling broadly. The photograph was dated only a few weeks before Allison Doren attacked Will and Sydney, only three weeks before Sydney disappeared for two years and Will entered Witness Protection.

"Your mother was very beautiful," Jack said softly holding out the picture to her. "You look just like her." Rory smiled and turned away but he didn't miss the hint of blush that creeped up her cheeks, she was not used to such compliments.

"Thank you." She moved to the window again and began fussing with the flowers once more. She looked over her shoulder momentarily, "why are you so interested in my past?"

"I just wonder how a girl like you ended up in a life like this."

"Just like everyone else," she said softly. "The idea of doing what others couldn't do, of using my abilities for good. To keep strangers safe and allow them to live in a world that was free of threat, to keep my father safe, to know that I was making a difference, and to be asked to serve my country, it was enticing."

"Even if it meant sacrificing your life?" He had detected the slight quiver in her voice.

She didn't answer.

"Why are you here Aurora?" Jack's voice was louder more insistent.

She turned to face him, her arms crossed over her chest. "I need to know why you did it."

Her voice trembled as she tried to control her emotions and Jack had to fight himself from taking her in his arms and telling her everything.

"I need to know why you came after me, why you risked your life to save mine." The tears were threatening to spill as she fought so hard to control them. "I've read the reports, it doesn't make any sense. You had no confirmation; you weren't even wearing a vest! So why? Why did you do it?"

"You are an agent under my supervision, you were my responsibility-"

"That's a load of shit," she laughed bitterly and rubbed her eyes. "You should have waited for back up."

"You would have been dead by then."

"You couldn't have known that."

"What does it matter?" he shot back. "I'm alive, you're alive."

"You almost weren't. If I-"

"You saved my life, twice from what I hear. I believe that would call us even."

"I nearly got you killed."

Her hands shook as she spoke and Jack tried to swallow the lump in his throat. She carried the full blame on her shoulders. "You're inexperienced and you made a mistake. I won't ignore that, but I won't condemn you for it either. You'll learn from your mistake and move on. There will always be another mission, another danger. It won't ever cease. This wasn't your fault."

Rory turned back to the window as she regained her composure. Jack waited for a few moments before speaking again. "You're a good Agent, Summers. I don't lose good agents. Your lunch break is almost over, you should get back to work," he added gruffly.

Rory nodded and when she turned back to him, her eyes were clear and her voice steady.

"Thank you Agent Bristow. Thank you for what you did." She walked towards the door and was about to leave when his voice stopped her.

"Aurora?"

She turned back to him expectantly.

"Thank you for the flowers... your mother had good taste."

A small smile played on her lips. "You know Agent Bristow, you're not the hard ass everyone thinks you are." She gave a little wave before exiting the room and leaving a stunned Jack behind her.

If only she knew.

A/Nï  Whew! Okay that was long but how about comments anyone? And don't forget to vote in the poll.


	8. Part Eight: The Mystery Man in Paris

A/N okay so this chapter took a long time to get here, reason being it was incredibly long and I didn't want to split it up but I was forced to so expect the next chapter to come later this week. The Good stuff is still to come. For Rory's dress in this picture just picture the red dress Sydney was wearing in Season Three Episode Two: Reunion. Also I posted the cover pic/dustjacket on and Just go to the general fanfiction section and click on my fic page one if you want to see it. Hope you enjoy and please review.

Illusion of Sin  
Part 8: The Mystery Man in Paris

Rory traced the lid of her eye with dark eyeliner and then blinked several times before ensuring that the lines were even. It had only been four weeks since the operation to identify her former partner Byron Richards as the mole. After three weeks of recuperation Rory was deemed fit to return back to the field. In the past seven days she and Zack had already been on two operations and were presently on their third.

The first mission had been easy, the second, a pain in the ass and the third, well time would tell. It seemed simple enough. They would be attending a ball at the Royal Palace Estate in Paris. After Rory obtained their hosts fingerprints, she would distract him, while Zack would break into his office and look for any information on a new emerging threat to the CIA, a Mafia type run organization specializing in arms, drugs and blackmail, called The Tryst. It was a new organization emerging only within the last few months and the CIA had very little information on it. The host of the party, Frederick Varza, was suspected to be an informant for them.

Rory lined her lips with liner and filled in the color before applying a red gloss over top. She inspected her makeup one last time before sitting on the edge of the bed and slipping on her shoes. She wiggled her toes and got comfortable in the red sparkled heels before criss crossing the satin ribbons across her ankle and tying the bow behind her calves

"Ror, you almost ready?" Zack knocked lightly on the bedroom door of their hotel room.

"Yeah, come in." She reached for the second shoe and slipped it on.

"Rory, we gotta-" his voice was cut off as she stood up from the bed. "You look…" he swallowed hard, "beautiful."

She was more than beautiful; she was gorgeous. She wore a red dress dipping just right in the front and daringly low in the back, with gold brocade decorating the bodice. It clung to her figure in all the right places, leaving him speechless. Her hair was curled and pinned at the top of her head with a few wayward strands hanging loose over her face and her eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim light.

"Far cry from the mud," she smiled referring to their last mission, which had ended with both of them covered in a thick layer of caked on mud. It had taken three showers to get all the mud off her body and out of her hair. She picked up a necklace off the dresser and held it out to him. "Could you fasten this?"

Zack nodded and took the necklace from her. He moved a few strands of hair away from the nape of her neck before slipping the chain around it and fastening the clasp. "We should go," he said softly arranging her hair back into place.

Rory shivered slightly feeling his warm breath on the back of her neck and nodded. "I'll get my purse."

Marshall adjusted the controls on his computer until he was satisfied that the picture was as clear as it could be. The necklace Rory was wearing had a tiny camera hidden inside of it and it was broadcasting the party events to him at the JTF. Jack Bristow sat to his left and Marshall was rather surprised to see him there. Prior to leaving for Virginia, nearly six months ago, he'd rarely ever seen Jack at the Rotunda, but for the last two weeks he'd been a constant fixture there apparently working closely on something but no one was sure exactly what it was. Carrie had noted to him that Jack had seemed rather interested in Agent Summers, which they'd both found surprising. Of course a few days ago Carrie refused to discuss it anymore and quickly changed the subject whenever he brought it up.

"Hey Marshall, anything yet?" Vaughn asked and sat in the empty chair behind him.

"No nothing," he shook his head glancing over at the other man. "You're late."

"Yeah," Vaughn slipped on his headset. "There was an accident on the freeway; traffic was a nightmare."

"Vaughn, you're just in time," Dixon sat down in the last empty chair. "Zack should be making his move any minute."

Vaughn glanced at the second monitor displaying images of the party from Zack's perspective through a tiny camera inserted into the top button of his tux. He caught sight of Rory. "Wow," he whispered quietly in awe, unaware that both Dixon and Jack were listening intently. "She looks just like Sy-" he wasn't able to finish his sentence and he missed the look Jack and Dixon exchanged as Jack interrupted him.

"Agent Vaughn," Jack stood abruptly. "I need to speak with you-"

Just as Zack was about to leave the party with the fingerprint replica Rory had obtained from their host, alarms began to sound and gunshots were heard.

Jack's request was quickly forgotten as they all turned up the volume on their headsets. "Summers, what's going?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said frantically and Jack could see through the camera that two agents were trying to make it through the mass of people that were fighting their way to the exits. "Zack was about make his exit when we heard the gunfire." More gunfire sounded and Zack grabbed her hand pulling her to his side as a crystal chandelier fell from the ceiling, shattering only meters from them.

"Shit that was close." Zack gripped Rory's hand tightly as they wove through the crowd.

"Do you have a location on Varza?" Dixon questioned.

Rory and Zack searched the crowd, but could not spot Frederick Varza anywhere. They managed to get through the crowd and moved to the center of the ballroom. There hadn't been any shots fired in several minutes but as soon as Zack and Rory reached the center they spotted Frederick Varza lying in a pool of blood and the shots began again.

"I think they're aiming at us," Zack pulled Rory down beside a concrete fountain for cover.

"Agent Weiss what is your status?" Dixon asked as Marshall began pounding on the computer's keyboard trying to retrieve the camera images from Rory's necklace that had somehow been damaged. His efforts were useless and they were left only with Zack's camera.

"We're taking cover beside a fountain. Varza is dead and we're being shot at." Around them, bullets were smashing into the concrete fountain and ricoching off the walls.

"Zack," Rory squeezed his hand and directed his attention to the scene before them.

"God, it's a fucking massacre," he whispered. The flying bullets had struck at least fifteen or twenty innocent bystanders. Some were dead and others severely wounded.

"Do you have a location on the gunman?" Vaughn questioned.

"No," Zack said. "He's above us somewhere-"

Suddenly the gunfire stopped and Zack and Rory peeked over the fountain to locate the gunman and saw him running away.

Zack roughly pulled off his jacket, wrenching his camera and audio free and severing their contact to LA. He placed the jacket around Rory's shoulders. "Stay here. I'm going to his office."

"Zack wait," she shouted after him but he paid her no heed and she was left alone listening to the screams of the injured. Working quickly she pulled the white linen tablecloths from the banquet tables and pressed them over the wounds of as many people as she could. Some of the party guests weren't injured too badly and were able to assist themselves and others. At least six of the wounded including Frederick Varza were dead and Rory struggled to tend to those who were most seriously injured. She had no contact with Zack and as each minute ticked by without the knowledge that he was all right, she grew even more concerned. As soon as the police and medical attendants entered the ballroom, she spoke in rapid French, quickly identifying the most seriously injured.

The paramedics were busy tending to the injured and the police securing the area so no one noticed Rory sneak away in the direction Zack had run. She slipped off her shoes and clenched the ribbons in her fists as she searched for her partner running up the stairs two at a time.

Despite all the activity on the lower floors, the upper area was strangely silent. Rory briefly considered calling Agent Vaughn on her cell phone to ask for instructions, but decided against it; if Zack ran in to any trouble he would need her as soon as possible.

Jack clenched his hands tightly and tried his best to concentrate on breathing. His chest was tightening making the simple act quite difficult. Three years ago he'd resigned from his current position within the CIA and chosen to work on consultation from home. He was up in his years and the atmosphere was much more relaxing than the high pace of The JTF. He'd been offered an administrative position but as he'd once told Sydney, 'he wasn't cut out for management' and chose to do the research and mission planning from home. Until the fast few weeks he'd only ever met with Dixon a few times a month but since Vaughn had requested his help he'd been at the Rotunda everyday until he'd been shot. That pattern had continued after his recovery since he'd learned that Aurora Summers was his granddaughter.

He had a granddaughter. They were the words he'd never imagined he could say, but there was no denying the simple fact that she was his daughter's child. They were so alike, yet so different. They had the same sweet smile; the same nose and their eyes though differently colored were identically shaped. She'd brought a life back into the office, into their work that he hadn't seen in so long. She'd brought life back into his life. He watched her interact with the staff. She was always patient, kind and friendly with everyone, even Marshall and his ramblings, just like Sydney had been. She brought a sort of luminescence and innocence to their work that he had hadn't seen since his own daughter. She was defiant, determined, a daredevil and everything that her mother had been. Everything, her mother would have wanted her to be, with the exception of working for the CIA that was. Jack wasn't too thrilled with it himself.

He wasn't the only one who noticed the resemblance either. Following Sydney's death he and Vaughn had reached a silent understanding. They'd both loved Sydney more than either could ever say, but Jack knew it wasn't right to keep the truth of Rory's paternity from him. Vaughn saw Sydney in her and Jack knew that it was only a matter of time before he began his own investigation into Aurora's past. Despite any feelings of hurt that Agent Vaughn was bound to feel upon learning that Aurora Summers was Sydney's daughter and Will Tippin, her father, it would be best not to keep the information from him for much longer.

Dixon had agreed to keep the knowledge to himself and allow Jack to be the one to tell Vaughn when the time was appropriate; he owed him that much. Michael Vaughn had protected and saved his daughter's life more times than Jack cared to remember, but he knew that there would never be a good time to tell him. With Vaughn's last comment he had to tell him. Jack stood, but the moment was lost when Rory's video and audio shorted out and the sounds of gunfire disturbed the air.

He heard her voice. She was okay; thank god she was all right. He glanced down at Vaughn, the familiar silver coin had returned to its place between his fingertips. Jack hadn't seen that coin in years. He focused his attention back on the computer screen and loosened his tie slightly.

"Jack?" Dixon leaned over close to his ear. "Are you alright?"

Jack nodded without even glancing at the man. His breath caught slightly as Zack's camera and audio was disconnected and any attempts to contact either of the agents failed. He was getting too old for this.

Zack yanked open the third filing cabinet and like the others found it in complete disarray. The gunman had already been there taking with him the information the CIA needed. What the hell had gone wrong?

He could hear the sirens signaling that the police were on their way. He only had another few minutes; he had to get back to Rory before the police discovered him. He moved back to the computer where he'd placed his business card case on top of the tower, which was currently downloading all the information from the hard drive. It was nearly 75 done when an error message began flashing on the screen. Zack swore and began typing on the keyboard but is efforts were in vain. The gunman had implanted a virus onto the systems hard drive rendering it completely useless.

"Zack!"

Hearing the urgency in Rory's voice he pulled out his gun. As Zack turned in her direction, he saw that the gunman had been aiming a gun at his head, but had now moved it in Rory's direction.

"Rory don't move," Zack said softly leveling his gun at the intruder's direction.

Rory had seen the gunman's reflection when he'd pointed the gun at Zack in a mirror across from where she stood in the hallway. As she turned toward Zack she could now see that the gun was pointed at her. He wasn't masked and she guessed him to be without disguises or prosthetics to hide his natural appearance. He stood a few inches taller than Zack with dark hair and light brown eyes, somewhat of a cross between gold and hazel. Rory swallowed hard as the gunman took several steps towards her until he stood directly behind her. He pressed the barrel against her spine.

"Drop your gun Agent Weiss or Aurora here might be placed in some very unfortunate circumstances."

Zack and Rory eyed each other. He knew who they were, but the question was why had he come back.

"No. You drop yours." Zack walked out from behind the desk and saw the gunman press the gun harder against her back. He could see her struggling to remain calm and continue to breath normally.

"I will not repeat myself."

Rory looked at Zack's hand and saw it falter slightly. "Zack…" she shook her head.

"Do you want to see her life end with a single bullet?" the man taunted. "If you care about your partner Agent Weiss, I advise you to drop your weapon and kick it over here."

Rory's eyes met Zack's and seeing the look in them, she knew instantly what he was about to do. "Don't you do it," she said fiercely. "Don't you fucking do it Zack!"

Her words were useless; he'd made up his mind. Zack lowered his arm and the gun fell from his hand with the unmistakable clatter of metal on marble floors and the scraping sound as he kicked it over to his opponent. He looked at Rory and saw the anger in her eyes. Well, unadulterated fury was more like it. If she didn't have a gun pointed at her back, she'd have probably let loose on him right there for going against her orders.

The gunman smiled as he spoke and for the first time Rory noticed the light British accent he possessed. "Interesting, they were right about you."

"Who was right?"

He ignored Zack's question. "Here's what's going to happen-" He didn't finish his sentence, but instead opted for forcefully pushing Rory in Zack's direction, grabbing the gun off the floor and taking off down the hallway.

"Shit," Rory swore attempting to regain her balance and Zack grabbed her to steady her. "Let's go!" they ran out of the office and down the hallway but there was no sign of the gunman. He'd disappeared.

"I don't understand," Zack turned to Rory. "Why didn't he kill us?"

"I don't know. Let's just get out of here before the police find us," Rory answered coldly. She didn't wait for an answer but began walking quickly down the opposite hallway and Zack had to run to keep up with her.

"Ror, are you alright?" Zack asked touching her shoulder slightly, but she pulled away. "Did he hurt you?"

"Let's just go home alright."

She was angry, hell she was more than angry and Zack certainly was not looking forward to the blowup.


	9. Part Nine: Breaking All The Rules

Illusion of Sin

Chapter 9: Breaking All The Rules

Jack made a few notations on the notepad in front of him as he listened to Zack recount the events post shooting at the Royal Palace Estate in Paris. The gunman had made off with the information Zack and Rory had been sent to retrieve and completley destroyed the hard drive of the computer, though Marshall was attempting a recovery, no one was hopeful. Hearing a tapping sound Jack looked up and over at Rory who sat beside him. The edge of her pen smacked rhythmically against her notebook and her attention was certainly not on the debrief playing out in front of her.

Jack focused his attention on to Marshall who was now speaking of his attempt at recovering the hard drive, but it didn't last long. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Rory was still beating her notebook with the pen. She hadn't written anything down in the past hour that they'd been in debrief and Jack could only assume that she hadn't been paying any attention to the meeting after she'd given her report. He looked up at her eyes and knew something was wrong other than her anger over the failed operation. Discretely he reached over and took the pen. Slipping it from her fingers he laid it on the table beside his other hand and returned to making his own notes regarding the debrief.

Rory had flinched slightly at his contact but hadn't turned to look at him nor said anything when he'd taken the pen from her; not that it surprised him. Since she and Agent Weiss had returned from Paris only a few hours before, she hadn't exactly been friendly with anyone and that wasn't her usual attitude, particularly with the younger Agent Weiss. The two had exchanged only a few words and Rory had been quite cold towards him. Jack was certain that the others had noticed the tension between them as well, though no one had made mention of it.

As they were dismissed Jack took his time gathering up his notes and files. Rory sat unmoving in her chair, her head bent as if reading the papers in front of her, but her eyes made no movement. Jack waited until the others were on their way out of the conference room before he leaned over Rory. He set her pen back down in front of her capturing her attention and spoke. "I'd like to see you in my office please, immediately."

"Yes Sir," she said softly. Gathering her files she stood and left the room.

Rory followed Agent Bristow into his office and sat down as she was directed. She smoothed her pinstripe black skirt and crossed her legs awaiting whatever he was about to say.

Jack took his time putting away his files and papers before he even looked at Rory. Slowly he sat down at his desk chair and retrieved a file from the top of it. He slid it over to her. "I want to talk to you about this."

Curiously, Rory picked it up and opened it. "My report on Paris? What about it?"

"It belongs in the garbage is what." Jack hated to be so harsh with her, but he had to be. He had to get through to her and make her understand.

"Pardon me?" she raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me." Jack leaned back in his chair and allowed her time to take in what he'd just said. "Your report is full of holes. Missing details. Incomplete."

"I'll rewrite it."

"It's not just a matter of rewriting it Agent Summers. The entire operation was sloppy, seven innocent people were killed."

Rory cast her gaze down at the report for a moment. "I'm very aware that seven people were killed, Agent Bristow. I was there, I had to look at their faces."

Jack opened his mouth to retort but closed it quickly seeing the look on her face. Apparently the mission had affected her more than she had let on in the debrief. "Summers, despite the fact that the operation was sloppy and it failed, there isn't anything that you could have done for those people."

"I know," Rory nodded looking up at him. "But that doesn't make it right."

"Aurora, when you are in the field, your life is in his hands and his life in yours. What happened?" Jack asked. "Why did you and Agent Weiss separate?"

"He went after the information, and I stayed to help the injured."

Although her rendition of the events had appeared on her report, Jack was sure there was more to the story. He was right. "Whose decision was that?"

Rory stood and walked to a wall on her left. "It was mutual."

"Summers," Jack, warned knowing full well that it wasn't.

Rory didn't respond. Her left hand straightened a black framed black and white photo of the Eiffel tower circa 1900. She walked towards his desk trailing her hand along the wall and stopping at various other black and white photos to inspect them more closely. She stopped at a framed certificate hanging behind his desk. "I didn't know you were a doctor…"

"Was a doctor," Jack corrected turning his chair to face her. "I never practiced."

"Of course you didn't," she mused continuing along the wall. "You were recruited for the CIA."

"Summers?"

"He nearly got us both killed, is that what you want to hear-" Rory turned angrily. "He left me, it was his decision, not mine."

Jack sighed. How on earth had Zackary Weiss grown up to be so much more like Michael Vaughn than his own father, and why didn't it surprise him. Until Sydney had joined the CIA, he hadn't been aware that Agent Weiss had even had a child. Eric Weiss, didn't seem like the father type, though he had to admit until Sydney joined the CIA he hadn't really been aware of either Eric or Michael Vaughn. Rory had turned back to the wall, now examining a photo of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Jack nearly smiled remembering the first time he had met Zackary Weiss. It had been at the rotunda twenty-three years earlier. Jack had been walking through the main office reading a file when he'd walked into something, or rather someone. It was shortly before Irina Derevko had turned herself into the CIA and shot Eric Weiss in the jugular at the port of Barcelona.

__

(Flashback)

Jack, studying an open file in his hands, had walked right into the two-year-old boy. Zack had fallen with a soft woof as his pampered bottom hit the ground. Jack was somewhat shocked to see a child in the rotunda and he looked around but no one appeared to be looking for a missing little boy in blue footie pajamas. The entire office was rather chaotic as they'd just made a major dent against an arms dealer in Bulgaria. Glancing down at the sleepy dark eyed boy, Jack had just stepped over the child and proceeded to a nearby desk where he began making several phone calls. A few moments later there was a tug on his pant leg and he looked down to see the child. In his left hand dangled a tattered teddy bear, missing an eye and his right thumb was stuck in his mouth. Zack took the opportunity to stretch his hands upwards. "Uppy, uppy," he'd demanded and tried his best to climb up on Jack's lap. Without Jack's help, the boy was unsuccessful and he'd settled for just resting his head on Jack's knee while the Agent finished his phone call. A few minutes later the boy had all but fallen asleep with his thumb tucked securely in his mouth.

"Zack, Zack!"

Jack recognized the frantic cry of a father looking for his son and it was then that he realized who the little boy was. "Agent Weiss," he called him over.

Weiss froze seeing his son asleep on Jack's knee but soon his arms immediately picked the little boy up holding him close. "Agent Bristow, I'm sorry, he was sleeping, he must have woken."

"I wasn't aware that we were running a daycare center Agent Weiss, the child should be with his mother." Jack stood and handed Weiss the teddy bear that had been forgotten in his lap.

"No," Weiss shook his head. "Not any more, she's gone."

The look on his face, Jack had understood immediately. The boy's mother wasn't dead or simply out of town for the evening, she was gone, out of their lives for good, and quite recently.

"I apologize Agent Bristow, it was the middle of the night, I got called in and I couldn't get anyone to watch him."

Jack stared at Weiss realizing that he in fact knew nothing about this Agent Weiss. He knew his background, education, work experience and credentials, but he'd never thought that the man had a family. "Might I suggest a nanny Agent Weiss."

"Thank you Sir, it won't happen again." Weiss nodded and turned walking back to the vacant office where his son had been sleeping. "Come on Buddy, let's go see if Uncle Mike will run out for some breakfast for us, and maybe I can scrounge up some milk for you."

And that was how he'd first met Zackary Weiss. The next time he'd come across the young boy hadn't been until nearly three years later after Sydney had returned from her two year absence. Sydney had taken a personal day at work and assuming that she was sick, he'd stopped by her apartment to check on her. She wasn't sick, but instead he had found her playing soccer with the now five-year-old Zack who called her Auntie Syd. For the next twenty years he'd watched the boy grow up through photographs on the desks of his father, Uncle Mike, even Dixon, Marshall and Carrie. Dixon, because his daughter Robyn had been Zack's primary babysitter and Marshall and Carrie who'd become a surrogate aunt and uncle to the boy. The day Zackary Weiss, no longer a little boy, but a man walked into the rotunda for his first day of work two years earlier, Jack had known exactly who he was. Quickly, it had become clear to Jack that the younger Agent Weiss had inherited many qualities from his father and Uncle Mike. Among the best were his patience, loyalty, intelligence, quick thinking, and dedication. Zackary Weiss was destined to be in the same league as his father and Uncle Mike, just as Aurora Summers was destined to be as good an agent as her mother was. The parallels between Sydney and Vaughn and Zack and Rory were bound to drive him insane.

Rory brought his thoughts back to the present. She stood beside him now and her hand had reached out taking a framed photograph from his desk. Instinctively he'd moved to take it from her, but she was too quick and he didn't want to arouse her suspicions.

Rory stared at the photograph intently and gently touched the glass tracing her fingertip over the image. "This was Sydney, your daughter," she said softly.

"Yes," Jack turned and watched as Rory leaned against the wall cradling the photograph in her hands. "She was around four years old in that picture, it was taken shortly after we moved here from West Virginia."

Rory smiled slightly at the image of four year old Sydney Bristow with pigtails in blue-jean overalls, standing on a carousel beside a much younger version of Agent Bristow. "Zack told me a bit about her, she seemed like a really great agent, a good woman."

Jack reached over and took the photograph from her hands. "She was…. Sit down Agent Summers."

Rory nodded and resumed her seat in front of the desk. They sat in silence for several moments before she broke it. "Agent Bristow, I'm sorry about the report, I will redo it."

"This isn't about the report Summers," Jack sighed. "This is about your life-"

"I don't understand."

"You're a good Agent, you have the potential to be a great one, but not if you're dead."

Rory's eyes shot up. "Excuse me?"

"I know your history. You're a risk taker, you live on the adrenaline, the rush of the operation, which is fine if you're solo, but not when you have a partner." Jack removed his glasses and set them on the desk. "Agent Weiss should not have done what he did, I don't dispute that, but he had a reason for doing it. He didn't trust you to be careful with your own life, or his. I don't know whether it's just the mission or if there is some other reason, and quite frankly, I don't care. However, I will not send you out again, until you work out whatever it is between you. I will not send you out, until you can trust each other. Is that understood?"

Rory nodded. "Yes Sir."

"Talk to him and fix the problem."

"Yes Sir," Rory stood and took the report from his desk. "I'll have the new report on your desk by the end of the day."

"Thank you," Jack stood as she turned and walked out of his office. "Aurora?" he called to her.

Rory stood in the doorway and waited expectantly.

"It's your birthday today, is it not?"

Rory nodded in response.

"Well then, happy birthday."

Rory smiled slightly quite surprised that he'd known. "Thank you Sir."

Zack tapped his pen on the side of his desk as he stared at the blank computer screen in front of him. He was supposed to be outlining a possible surveillance mission to China for two Junior Agents, but so far he hadn't made any progress. His mind was not on the task in front of him but rather on the woman in the office directly across from his desk.

He and Rory hadn't spoken since their return from Paris. Even the flight home had been silent with her sleeping, or at least pretending to and him working on the post mission debrief report. They'd spoken a grand total of seven words between them since leaving the Palace Estate in Paris and boarding the jet back to LA and all through the debrief. Rory was pissed, which he understood, but the thing that unnerved him the most was at how quiet she'd become. For whatever reason, she wasn't blowing up and it was driving him insane.

The sound of the door closing alerted him to Rory's presence in the rotunda once more. To his surprise she walked right over to him.

"We need to talk… now."

Zack nodded and stood glancing around the rotunda for some place private. "This way," he said leading her over to the empty conference room. It was virtually soundproof so no one would be able to hear their conversation, or rather argument, as he was sure it would escalate to.

"Well…" Zack leaned against the table crossing his arms over his chest.

Rory lifted herself onto the table across from him and crossed her ankles swinging them slightly. "Apparently you have a problem trusting me," she said bluntly.

"I never said that."

"No, Agent Bristow did, now is it true?"

Zack stared at her not answering.

"Is it true?" she repeated her voice rising.

"Ror- you don't give me reason to- you're reckless, I'm afraid you're going to get yourself killed."

"I'm not trying to get myself killed Zack, I'm just trying to do my job."

"You take unnecessary risks; risks that aren't a part of just doing your job. Last week in Belize for example, you placed the explosive directly on the fuel tank and ran like hell. What if you hadn't made it in time-"

"Zack, risking my life is part of my job. I don't know what else to say to you, other than how can I be sure that I can trust you."

Zack's eyes shot up alarmed and he watched in shock as Rory slipped off the table and began slowly walking the length of the room.

"Last night, you should not have left me like that. Separating endangered both our lives."

"Rory, the gunman, he was after us, both of us. If we hadn't separated, there's a good chance that we'd both be dead."

"Which brings us to the confrontation." Rory stopped directly in front of Zack her arms crossed over her chest. "He was not planning on killing us. If he were, he'd have done it in the ballroom, that fountain was not adequate cover, he was just showing off. You should never have dropped your gun-"

"Rory, he was going to kill you, he had a gun against your head, I had no choice."

"I told you not to drop your gun. You should have taken the shot."

"And if I'd missed?"

"You wouldn't have missed-"

"It would have taken less than a second for him to pull you right in front and that bullet would have gone right through you."

"When I took this job, I acknowledged the fact that I might die. That was a decision that I made-"

As the two battled back and forth, their voices grew louder until they were yelling at each other, standing toe to toe.

"There you go right there," Zack stopped her. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. It seems like you want to get yourself killed. It seems like you think that you have nothing here. You've been different since that night. Did Byron Richards really take everything that you once believed in away, and leave you… leave you like this."

"Whoa, hang on a sec here." Rory was seething as she took a step towards him until they were nose to nose. "What is this really about Zack? Is this about that night with Andrei Slother?" He didn't answer. "Is it?"

"No… yes… I don't know." Zack leaned back against the table and ran a hand through his hair lowering his voice several octaves. "We're good together, you and I. On operations, or planning, whatever, we work well together. Usually there's no problem, but when I'm with you, I can't help but feel that you don't value your life in the same manner that I do."

Rory turned and stood beside him, leaning against the table, her arms crossed over her chest. "I was just doing my job Zack."

Zack sighed heavily. "Would you have done it?" he asked looking at her. "If it had come down to it, would you have slept with Slother?"

"I don't know if I can answer that question. I wanted to know what he knew so badly." Rory glanced over at him. "I think I would have done what ever I had to. Does that make me ashamed of myself, of what I might have done? Selling my body like a cheap whore? It does, but I don't know if I would have done anything different." Rory smiled slightly. "It seems so long ago doesn't it, that night on the pier, when the whole nightmare began? That night, I could never have imagined that it would lead us to where we are now."

Zack laughed lightly. "That was a wild night wasn't it." His voice changed slightly taking on a more serious tone. "For the record Rory, you're not a cheap whore." He lifted his body onto the table and patted the spot next to him; Rory followed suite. "You're a talented agent and I admire your dedication to the job, however, that dedication does worry me. I worry that you will think too much of this agency, and not of your own life and as a result, this agency will lose you." I'll lose you he added silently. He touched her hand slightly forcing her to look up at him. "Working together, we need to be able to trust each other. I mean we're good together, I know we are, but we have to trust each other. You're right, in Paris; I shouldn't have done that. We shouldn't have separated and you had no reason to trust me. What if we start fresh?"

"Fresh?" she asked curiously looking at him.

Zack held out his hand. "My name is Zack Weiss, nice to meet you."

She took his hand smiling and shook it firmly. "Rory Summers, nice to meet you too." Rory slipped off the table and faced him as she took a deep breath. "Zack, as long as we're being honest… why did you leave the safehouse? Why did you leave me?"

"No," Zack stood and started walking slowly towards the door. "Don't ask that, I can't do that. Besides, we start fresh- no past. I'll see you later Rory."

Rory watched him go her eyes cast down to the floor as the door shut behind him. She had to wonder, what was the big secret, why wouldn't he say anything, why wouldn't he just tell her what had happened.

As Zack let the door close shut behind him, he took one last glance at Rory through the frosted glass window before continuing to his desk. As he neared it, he spotted a folded piece of paper on his desk. He sat down and reached for it, realizing that it was a note with only a single sentence; _meet me on the roof – V._

V, he had to assume was Vaughn and Zack wondered what the big deal was. Why the secrecy and why did he want them to meet on the roof. Zack stood and began walking out of the rotunda to the stairwell, stopping at Morez's desk along the way. Morez informed him that his father had called and he'd caught an earlier flight and would be home that evening and to call him when he got home.

Squinting in the bright sun, Zack glanced around the rooftop and nearly missed Vaughn leaning against a low wall on the north side. "Uncle Mike," Zack called to him crossing the rooftop. "What's up? Is something wrong? Is it Dad?" He asked, concern showing through his voice.

"Zack, no nothing's wrong. His plane should be getting in soon, I'm going to pick him up at the airport." Vaughn shook his head and smiled, in his best attempt to reassure the boy. "I wanted to talk to you about Agent Summers, tell me what you know about her," he requested.

Vaughn listened patiently as Zack reviewed her work history and the basics of her personal information. Listening to Zack talk, it was painfully aware to Vaughn, rather quickly, that there was more to the story than what he was saying. The way he talked about her reminded Vaughn of another place, another time, and another girl. Zack reminded Vaughn of himself, twenty-five years ago.

"After the debrief, I had a meeting with Dixon about you and Agent Summers."

"What about us?"

"Dixon has decided to permanently remove you as her handler-"

"Why?" Zack exploded. "We work great together. Sure, Paris wasn't exactly a success but I don't see any reason for separating us-"

"Zack-" Vaughn interrupted but he wasn't able to say any more.

"Belize was a success, so was Istanbul and if that isn't enough, what about her solo missions before this whole mess started-"

"Zack stop!" Vaughn ordered. "If you'd let me finish. I am replacing you as her handler. You are replacing Byron Richards as her partner, permanently. They want you on active field duty, permanently."

"But I thought this was just temporary until they could place her with another agent?"

"Well they've chosen that other agent as you."

"I see you're not exactly happy about this," Zack said softly.

"Not particularly," Vaughn shook his head. "I know you're a good agent, so is Agent Summers and you work well together, but working in the field is risky. I know, I did it for twenty years. It doesn't matter how good you are, every time you're putting your life on the line. You're like a son to me Zack, I've watched you grow up your whole life. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," Zack shook his head. "I know it's not a guarantee, nothing is guaranteed in this line of work, but I'm not really about to willingly let it happen." He turned to face Vaughn. "After doing the last three field missions with her- I don't want to go back to a desk."

"Which brings me to the question, can you work with Agent Summers?"

Zack looked at Vaughn confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Vaughn shrugged. "It's really a simple question."

"Well of course I can work with her, we've been doing fine in the past. I really don't understand what you're getting at."

Vaughn nodded realizing he was going to be forced to be more explicit. "Why don't you start off by explaining to me why I had to pull you from her safehouse last month?"

Zack groaned. "Haven't we been over this a hundred times already?"

"Not to my satisfaction."

"I can't tell you, I won't."

Vaughn sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. "Alright then, tell me why the two of you can hardly look at each other?"

"What?"

"Since you got back from Paris, you haven't spoken. Not one single word between to two of you. I've seen the way she looks at you, the way you look at her, so don't tell me that nothing is going on."

"We just… had a disagreement," Zack said evasively.

Vaughn laughed, "come on Zack, I'm old, but I'm not that old."

"We just… we had some issues, but we've worked them out-"

"You expect me to believe that? Do you love her?" Vaughn interrupted.

"Excuse me?"

"It's a simple question Zack, Do You Love Her?" Vaughn repeated slowly.

"I---I---I shouldn't be talking to you about this," Zack sighed and sank down sitting on the concrete roof.

"Zack," Vaughn sat down beside him. "If you remember, I do have a lot of experience breaking the handler/asset rules. I'm pretty much your go-to-guy for the manual."

"I kissed her," Zack blurted out running a hand through his dark hair. "That night I asked you to pull me from the safehouse, I kissed her. If I'd stayed things might have gone too far."

"So you kissed her… and what was the problem? Worst kiss of your entire life? Somehow I don't think so, because your dad told me about that Alicia girl in seventh grade I don't know if anyone can top that?" he grinned.

Zack laughed slightly. "I can't believe he told you about Alicia." He was silent for several moments staring out at the Los Angeles skyline before speaking. "Definitely not the worst, not the best either considering the circumstances."

"Which were?"

Zack leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes as he spoke. "The night we entered the safehouse, Rory got really drunk, I had too much too, but she was long gone." He smiled slightly remembering the chocolate ice cream incident. "The night was memorable to say the least. I helped her into bed and she kissed me. I kissed her back, I shouldn't have, but I did, and I ended it." He opened his eyes and glanced at Vaughn to gage his reaction, but he gave not hints. "The night I called you to move me, I was pretty much drunk and I kissed her, two, three times and the last time, she kissed me back."

"And it was bad?"

"Well I suppose you should take into consideration the fact that I was drunk and she was basically unconscious from her pain medication and had no idea what she was doing."

"So you wanted out, to prevent anything more from happening," Vaughn interpreted.

"She's young, she's a good agent Mike, I don't want to screw this up for either of us. I'm her handler, there are rules."

"Do you love her?" Vaughn asked again.

"Yes, no… I don't know. I-I think I can," Zack covered his face with his hands and leaned forwards in frustration. "What I mean is, I care about her, more than if she were just a friend." His voice grew unsteady as he spoke. "Do I love her? The way I feel about her, I've never felt like this with anyone before. I feel like I've known her for an eternity. When she's on operations, I can't sleep, and I can't relax until she's home. I lay awake at night wondering what she's thinking. I do love her, at least I think I do." He looked over at Vaughn. "Pretty messed up huh," he smiled slightly trying to ease the awkwardness.

"No," Vaughn shook his head. "If you love her, or think you might, there's nothing messed up about it." He stood, pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Marshall, hi, it's Vaughn. Is Agent Summers still in the building?" He glanced at Zack who stood with a curious look on his face. "She's not. Alright can you track her cell phone signal and give me a location?" Vaughn pulled out a small notepad and a pen and awaited Marshall's response. "Joe's Bar." He wrote the address down and returned the pen to his pocket. "Thanks Marshall, no everything's fine. Bye." Vaughn ripped the paper and put the pad and cell phone back in his pocket. "Dixon lifted her location restrictions. She's allowed out of the safehouse now. Why would she be at a bar though?"

"Today's her birthday," Zack realized. "Her twenty-first."

Vaughn folded the piece of paper. "Zack, you know I only want what is best for you, which is why I am doing this. This job, yes it's an important job, but it's still just a job and I don't want to see you make the same mistakes that I did. If you love her than these are the two most important words I am ever going to say to you."

Zack slipped his hands in his pockets and listened intently waiting for him to continue.

Vaughn stepped forwards and tucked the address in the front pocket of Zack's suit.

"Screw protocol."

As Zack walked into Joe's Bar, he pulled off his sunglasses and scanned the area in search for Rory. He didn't have to look very far, at 6 PM there weren't many people in the bar, nor was it very large. Rory was sitting on a high barstool, her back to him, twirling an empty glass in her hands.

Zack approached the bar quietly and sat down beside Rory leaving a seat between them.

"What can I get for you?" the bartender asked.

"I'll have what's on tap, and whatever the lady is drinking." Zack nodded in Rory's direction and at the sound of his voice she was pulled out of her daze.

"Zack?" She tilted her head to look at him, her eyes full of questions. "What are you doing here?"

Zack thanked the bartender, as a glass of beer was set in front of him and another in front of Rory. Lifting his glass he moved one seat over, to sit right next to her and sat down sideways on the stool.

Rory glanced over at him but remained sitting straight facing the bar. As she looked up to his eyes, she noticed there was something different about them. Something that she couldn't quite pinpoint. He smiled at her slowly and despite her best efforts at not complying she smiled back.

Zack took a sip of his beer. "The real question is why are you here, celebrating your birthday alone?" His smile widened as she ducked her head and lowered her eyes, her cheeks coloring a rosy pink. He loved it when she looked like that. She tried to cover her embarrassment slightly by taking a sip of beer but he knew better.

"How did you know it was my birthday?" she asked taking another sip.

"I'm your handler, I make it my business to know everything about you." She raised an eyebrow challenging him. "Alright, not everything…" he admitted with a laugh. His voice took on a more serious tone with the next words. "But I want to know everything."

Rory's eyes widened and darted up to meet his. "Pardon me?"

Zack took a deep breath and placed a hand on her thigh, nudging her to turn and face him.

Rory glanced down at his hand very aware of his touch separated from her skin by the thin layer of pantyhose. She looked up and was met with that look in his eyes again. The look she'd never seen before that made her catch her breath. "Zack?"

"I'm taking a chance here Ror. I don't know if I should be, but I'm gonna do it anyway." Zack kept his hand on her leg and reached the other up to gently draw a few strands of hair away from her face. He took a deep unsteady breath before continuing. "This life, the one that we live everyday on the job is insane. If we actually told people, friends, other family, or even the newspaper boy what we did every day there's no way they'd ever believe us. They'd think we were crazy."

Rory listened wide-eyed as he spoke, her arms hanging down at her sides to hide her trembling hands. "Zack-"

"Please," he begged. "Please just listen." He waited until she nodded in agreement before continuing. "I used to think that this was just a job. I was a desk guy. I went to work, I came home, and carried on a pretty normal life-then I met you." At his words Rory's chin dropped and her eyes cast down. His hand cupped her cheek lifting her head for their eyes to meet. "When I met you, any normalcy that I thought I possessed went out the window and I realized that it wasn't a bad thing. I began to see the job through your eyes. You were so excited to be serving your country, to be working for the good guys and you had such a belief that somewhere deep inside there was good in everyone, even the people you were fighting against. I was envious, I still am, because despite everything that has happened in the past month I know that somewhere inside you, you still posses that belief." His thumb quickly caught a tear that escaped from her eye, wiping away the stained trace of its existence.

"The first day I met you, your first day of work, I was attracted to you. You were the prettiest and smartest girl, excuse me woman, that I had ever met and I wanted to be your friend. When I first joined the agency, I had broken up with my girlfriend Allison Reeves over it and I made a promise to my father that I would never get involved with anyone on the job. It just complicated things too much. I'm finding it difficult to keep that promise right now." Zack watched Rory carefully for any signs of distress or clues that he was screwing everything up by telling her everything that he was. She showed none.

"When I saw you that night on the pier… I was scared," he admitted truthfully. "You seemed so… broken and I was so afraid that when you were held prisoner some man had taken advantage of you. I couldn't think of a good reason to explain why you were the way you were. You were always so calm and courageous and in control no matter what was happening when you were on operations. You were always able to compartmentalize your emotions so well that I don't know, I thought you were superwoman or something. You always got the job done. Every one of your missions was a success." His thumb caught another tear. "Don't cry," he whispered. "That night Rory, I was so relieved when you said that no man had hurt you. Seeing you so vulnerable, for the first time I realize how real you were. You were broken and all I wanted was to fix you, but I couldn't. I couldn't just glue you back together like a broken toy, you had to heal yourself and that is something that hasn't quite happened. You have to understand Ror that you were the strongest woman I had ever met, probably the strongest person and you were crying and I couldn't fix it. For the first time I was seeing you loose control and I realized that I didn't know you at all. I knew your work history, but I didn't know you. For the first time I was truly seeing the real you. You weren't superwoman, you were a regular girl, an amazing, beautiful girl with so many strengths, but still a girl who could hurt."

Zack felt a hand on his face, slender fingers dragging themselves upward to his cheekbone and erasing the moisture he hadn't realized was there. He caught her hand in his and pulled it way encasing it in strong fingers.

"The first night in the safehouse, when we both had too much to drink, I learned that you liked pasta alfredo and red wine, tequila, and coffee ice cream. I learned that despite your independence and all signs pointing towards the opposite-you were a dreamer, and a romantic, and a girl who loved the fairy tale endings where the prince got the girl and rode away on a white horse. Those were the good, happy sides of you that made me smile. Not everything about you was happy though. You took failure hard. You drank to try and forget. The work that we do was eating alive and you had no one to talk to and there was nothing that I could do. You were so lonely, yet you still amazed me. You made the best out of an incredibly horrible situation. That was one crazy night," he grinned and let go of her hand seeing the redness creep up her cheeks once more as she remembered how drunk she really had been. "That night we both realized how hard it was to separate our personal and professional lives. We made a mistake-"

Zack-" Rory interrupted but Zack shook his head and held a finger to her lips.

"I'm not finished, please just listen," he requested and once again she nodded in compliance.

"The kiss, it shouldn't have happened. We both had too much to drink and I should have stopped things before they went that far. Although it shouldn't have happened, it wasn't the kiss that was the mistake. The mistake came later, when we both tried to pretend it never happened. That was my fault." Rory's eyes widened in surprise and she opened her mouth to speak, but words would not come. "I wanted to keep my promise to my father, and it was against the rules. I was your handler and the last thing I wanted was to disturb you and cause you to lose your focus on a mission."

Zack drew her hand into his once more encompassing it in warmth. "The night of the set up, when we confirmed that Byron Richards was the mole, I thought I'd lost you."

Zack paused, taking a few moments to regain his breathing and gather his thoughts before continuing. As she waited Rory glanced down at their hands. His were shaking, trembling, perhaps from fear or nervousness, she wasn't sure what, but as she covered them with her free hand, they stilled.

"You were covered in Jack's blood and your own and I thought that I must have been imagining your screams, because there was just so much blood. I thought I'd failed you and there was nothing that I could do to save you. I thought you were dead-" his voice broke off and he pulled his hands from Rory in order to stop the tears that threatened to spill.

Rory covered her mouth as she watched him, doing her best to contain her own tears. She wanted to say something, she wanted to tell him that it was all right that she was safe, but she couldn't, words just would not come.

"I wasn't angry or disappointed at you for agreeing to sleep with Andrei Slother. I was angry, furious, that you were put in that position to choose, to sacrifice everything you thought you believed in, just for the answer to a question. It was killing me. You asked me why I left the safehouse that night, and for the longest time I couldn't tell you. Rory, I did something that I shouldn't have done. I kissed you, and you kissed me back." He saw the surprise on her face having not remembered anything of the sort. "I know you don't remember. That night, I finished off the bottle of tequila and you were nearly unconscious from the pain medication. You were having a dream; a nightmare and I went to you. I just wanted to touch your face, just once. I wanted to make everything all right for you. I kissed your cheek, but then you turned your head and so I kissed your lips. You didn't wake up, you did show any sign that you might and so I kissed you again and that time you kissed me back." The look of shock on her face made Zack almost regret telling her, but he had to be honest. He cupped her cheek in his hand drawing the tip of his finger over her lips, the same action he'd done that night. "You didn't realize it of course, you were still asleep and under the medication and I was pretty much drunk. Right after, I called my Uncle Mike to get me into another safehouse, because I knew I couldn't be that close to you anymore. If I was, I'd want to kiss you again and despite what either of us might have wanted that couldn't happen. I'm your case officer, your handler; you're the agent, the asset. Regardless if either of us wanted to, we couldn't break that rule. Things are a bit more simpler now, our arrangement has changed a bit."

Rory cupped her hand over his sensing the change and almost hopefulness of his voice.

"I had a meeting with Mike after our conversation in the rotunda. He informed me that he is replacing me as your handler. That means that the handler/asset relationship between us no longer exists. I'm not your handler anymore. What I am now is your partner."

Zack dropped his hand from her face and stood turning her chair so her back was against the bar and she faced him. He stood slightly taller than she sat and she tilted her head up to look at him, her breathing rate elevated.

"These rules still exist, but I realized today after my conversation with you and with Mike that they aren't as important as I thought they were. They can be bent, or broken and yes there are consequences to that damage, but in many instances it's worth it. When I look at you, I can't think straight. You make me think things and feel things that no other woman has ever done and I think that the consequences would be worth it. I don't want the rules to stand in the way of potentially the greatest thing in my life. At some level, I think you feel the same way and in the end no matter how important this job is to us or to the public, it's still just a job.

"If I'm wrong and I've completely screwed things up here then I'll have to ask you to forgive my insanity but… I don't think I'm wrong."

Rory could scarcely breath and Zack was doing no better has he struggled to get the words out.

"If we have something… or if we could have something, despite the rules it's not fair to either of us to deny its existence. No matter who says its wrong, I think we owe it to ourselves to give it a chance. I received some very good advice a little while ago. Screw Protocol." He took a deep breath. "Aurora, I'm asking if you're willing to take that chance with me?"

He waited, holding his breath, unable to take another as he watched the mirage of emotions cross her face.

Rory brought her hands up to his face scraping her palms over the coarse stubble as she brushed her thumbs over his cheekbones drying the three tears that escaped. Zack closed his eyes as she touched him feeling her hesitance that matched his. He tried to breathe, but still he couldn't as he waited for a response from her. He opened his eyes feeling her lips on his cheek as she kissed where his tears had been; first one side and then the other, a gentle brush of her lips on his skin. He tried to say her name, but she silenced him with a kiss.

Pressing her lips to his she drew them into a slow sweet kiss; everything a real first kiss should be.

Her hands rested on his shoulder and the back of his neck pulling him towards her as it intensified. His hands toyed with the hem of her shirt, gently pulling on the thin fabric until she uncrossed her legs and spread them slightly pulling his body flush to hers. Stepping into the newly created space, Zack was a little surprised at how forward she was as she teased the inside of his lips with her tongue. She was sweet and tasted like honey and beer. Kissing her was beyond anything he could have thought, anything he could have imagined. Their first two encounters couldn't really be considered as a kiss as neither had been fully aware of what they were doing. Drawing his hands around her back he reluctantly pulled away so they could both breath, and as they parted she muttered something he didn't understand.

"What did you say?" he asked taking slow deep breaths.

Rory grinned, her faced flushed, eyes shining from excitement and her lips swollen and red from the kiss. She leaned up slightly and whispered against his ear.

"Fuck Protocol."

__

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart

Without saying a word you can light up the dark

Try as I may I could never explain

What I hear when you don't say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all.

Rory closed her eyes leaning her forehead against Zack's shoulder as they danced. Her arms were looped around his neck and his against her back holding her tightly to him. Following their encounter at the bar, which had left her both excited and completely numb as she tried to absorb everything Zack had said to her, he had convinced her to follow him back to his apartment so he could cook her a birthday dinner. His appearance at the bar had shocked her. She'd gone from feeling sorry for herself and drinking beer at 6 in the evening to being scarcely able to breath as Zack stumbled over words in his effort to lay his cards out on the table. Listening to him speak she'd realized that he was right. Conflicting emotions set aside, she was in agreement with everything he'd said and she realized the lengths she herself had gone to deny her feelings of attraction towards him.

Zack had just put a pot of water on the stove to boil when she'd turned on his radio and found one of her favorite songs playing. After a few urgings and pouting she'd managed to convince him to dance with her and that was where they remained.

__

All day long I can hear people talking out loud

But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd

Old Mr. Webster could never define

What's being said between your heart and mine

Rory sighed contently and smiled into his neck as she thought about what had happened. Some might think they were moving too fast and in some aspects she agreed but it did feel just right. Zack's first attempt at starting dinner had been a loss as the pot of water boiled dry as a result of their making out distraction and she'd been banished from the kitchen until it was started. She couldn't seem to get enough of him and holding him as close to her body as she was now; she was thinking things that she'd never have even considered before.

Inhaling deeply she closed her eyes deciding that if need be she could live without food or water and survive on the scent of his cologne alone.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.

"Your cologne," she grinned in response.

"I'm not wearing any," he said confused.

"Must be the aftershave," she sighed. "Don't change it, it rivals heaven."

"Yes Ma'am," he laughed. Zack trailed kisses along her neck and was rewarded with a soft moan as Rory angled her neck slightly allowing him better access. He shivered slightly and felt her laugh against his neck as she pulled his shirttail out of his pants and slid her hands up the back of his shirt eager to touch his skin.

__

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all

"You alright?" Zack questioned wondering if things were going at an okay pace for her.

"Mhmm," she murmured planting several kisses along his jawline before moving up to his mouth kissing it hungrily.

Zack groaned as she slipped her tongue inside his mouth and stroked his. Sliding his hands under her blouse he caressed the soft skin of her stomach as they kissed before moving his hands upwards and touching her breasts teasing them through her bra. Rory moaned louder than before and began kissing him harder.

Feverent kisses masked their progression towards the soda and when Rory felt it against the back of her legs she fell back pulling Zack with her. Somewhere between the middle of the floor and the sofa he'd lost his shirt and Rory relished in spreading her hands across his back and feeling the taut muscles. She kissed a small scar on his shoulder and made a note to ask him about it later. His skin tasted salty and she laughed as he gently nipped at her neck and squirmed when he hit a particularly sensitive spot behind her ear. She looked down as his fingers began unbuttoning her blouse and closed her eyes at the sensations she was feeling as his lips traveled down her chest. Her fingers found the clasp on his belt and she began pulling at it. He groaned as she pulled the buckle open and she froze. It was getting overwhelming.

"Zack, Zack stop."

"Are you okay?" he asked pulling away.

"No," she shook her head and he sat up.

"This… we're going too fast." Rory trailed a hand over his cheek as she spoke. "I mean, I want to be with you, but only an hour ago we decided to give it a shot and now… we just need to slow things down a bit."

"You're right, I know." Zack leaned back against the sofa and fastened his belt.

Rory rebuttoned her blouse and then caught Zack's hand as he stood pulling him back down to sit beside her. "Listen a moment," she said softly. "I want to be with you… completely, but things are going a little too fast and I do need to be honest with you." Rory took a deep breath before continuing. "I've never been with a man before in that way. I've never slept with a man before," she admitted smiling shyly as a heated blush of embarrassment rose over her face. "My experience with guys is basically non-existent aside from the two boyfriends I had, one in high school and one in my freshman year at Nevada State."

"Rory, you don't have to-"

"You already had your turn, now it's my turn to spill my guts," she laughed before taking on a more serious tone. "I do want to be with you, but I am nervous or maybe even a little scared and I'm not ready for it. Not just yet, but when I am, I do want it to be with you."

"I only want you to be happy." Zack tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I don't want you to do anything that you aren't comfortable with and I want you to know that I have no intention to hurt you and any lack of experience doesn't matter to me." He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her sweetly. "I should check on dinner," he stood and picked up his shirt from the floor slipping it on and buttoning it as he walked.

"Rory?"

Rory looked up from buttoning the last few buttons on her blouse. "Yeah?"

Zack stood in the entryway to the kitchen, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "I'm really glad you're here," he said softly.

Rory smiled, her grin widening with each passing second, "me too."

__

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all.

Zack disappeared into the kitchen checking on dinner and luckily for them the sauce hadn't burned and the pasta was almost cooked so he began to make a smile. Hearing a laugh he called out, "what's so funny?"

"Baby pictures!" she responded with a giggle from the living room. "Maybe we'll find some baby Zack's first bath pictures."

"I highly doubt it," he said cringing. "My dad keeps the highly embarrassing ones at his place." He dropped the tomatoes he'd cut into the bowl. "Hey Mike told me that my dad got an earlier flight and he should be home soon. Do you want to go with me later to see him? I can't wait till he meets you, he's gonna love you…" He smiled and grabbed a cucumber from the fridge. "Rory?" he called but there was no response. "Rory?" Still nothing. Grabbing a dishtowel from the counter he dried his hands and walked towards the living room. "Ror-" He stopped short at the sight before him.

Rory looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sat on the floor clutching the old photo album in her hands. Her lower lip trembled and fresh tears spilled from her eyes. As her eyes met his, Zack noticed how cold they were; icy blue.

"Why do you have a picture of my mother?"

Zack stared at her in shock unable to comprehend what she'd just asked. "What?"

"Why do you have a picture of my mother?" she repeated, standing as she spoke.

Zack took a step towards her. "What are you talking about?"

Rory immediately took several steps back widening the distance between them and Zack could actually see fear in her eyes. "Rory, I don't know what's going on but if you'll just tell me…"

"Why do you have a picture of my mother?" she whispered standing still now as Zack walked towards her.

"I don't know your mother," he said softly feeling his heartbreak at the look in her eyes. He cupped her cheek in his hand and thumbed away a tear but it was of no use as another fell splashing down onto the book.

Rory lowered the book so he could see. "You have a picture of my mother."

Zack shook his head. "I'm sorry Rory you must be mistaken, this isn't your mother." Her eyes grew angry at his accusation. "This is Sydney Bristow. She's Jack's daughter, I told you about her." Rory shook her head in protest and Zack reached for the album turning the page. "See?" he pointed to a picture of Sydney and Vaughn.

Rory, couldn't speak, she couldn't even breath as she stared at the image on the page. Agent Vaughn sat on a kitchen chair with his arms around the woman who sat in his lap. The woman Zack had identified as Sydney Bristow, the woman Rory recognized as her mother Kathryn Johnson-Summers. "No," she whispered.

Zack turned the page again, revealing a new picture. "These were all taken at my birthday party. I was three, see here we're all sitting on the couch; there's the cake and me, my dad, Uncle Mike and Sydney, her friend Francie, and well you can see about half of Will, he got cut off of the picture, but there's another one…"

Tears cascaded from her eyes over the pictures and she was unable to stop them as Zack flipped to the next page. A strangled sob emerged from her throat as she saw the picture.

"What?" Zack turned and looked at her.

"My dad, that's my dad."

"No, no, Rory, that's Will Tippin, that's Sydney's friend, I told you about him."

Rory looked at him unable to look at the pictures anymore. She felt numb, she felt like she was dying inside. What the hell was going on? "My purse," she managed to whisper.

Zack looked around and then spotted it on the sofa chair. Rory had sunk down on the sofa balancing the open photo album on her lap. He sat beside her and watched as she pulled out her wallet. With trembling hands she removed a picture and laid it on the album.

"Oh my God," Zack whispered.

"This is my mom and dad." Rory could barely contain her sobs as she moved the picture beside another in the album. "This is the only picture I have."

Stunned Zack stared down at the album and the two pictures side by side. In his perfectly preserved under a layer of plastic Sydney Bristow and Will Tippin sat side by side on a couch, his arm around her shoulders and her head tucked against his chest, both smiling broadly. Rory's picture, tarnished and damaged from years of use was of Kathryn Summers and Jonah Summers sitting side by side on a couch, his arm around her shoulders and her head tucked against his chest, both smiling broadly.

The pictures were identical.

Zack looked up at Rory wondering why he hadn't seen the resemblance before. He'd looked at the photo album hundreds of times before and he'd never noticed how much Rory looked like Sydney Bristow. "I-," he couldn't speak. He wasn't able to and he didn't know what to say. He could hear Rory struggle to breathe and to stop crying beside him, but there was nothing he could do. He was numb.

"Why do you have a picture of my parents?"

__

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all.


	10. Part Ten: Learning truths

Illusion of Sin  
Part 10

"Why do you have a picture of my parents"

The question hung in the air, neither Zack nor Rory making a move. Both stared at the photographs side by side, as if by doing so they would suddenly start to make sense, and a logical explanation would be reached.

What was a logical explanation? Zack couldn't figure that one out and Rory was in shock and couldn't seem to understand at the moment that Sydney Bristow and Kathryn Johnson, as well as Will Tippin and Jonah Summers appeared to be the same people.

Zack was the first to find his voice. "Everything's going to be okay Rory, we'll figure it out. There has to be a logical explanation." He laid a hand on her shoulder but she pulled away.

"I think I should go." She stood, the album forgotten on the sofa beside her.

"Rory no, let me call my dad" Zack pleaded with her. "Just let me talk to him first. He took the picture, maybe he can tell us something."

Rory nodded and sat back down. The truth was that she wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to call her dad, to ask him, but if she did and there was some kind of mistake, she would never be able to forgive herself for it. All she could do was think of the countless times she'd been told how familiar she seemed, Agent Vaughn, Carrie, Marshall, and even Agent Bristow. Rory swallowed hard. Agent Bristow, did he know? He had to know, how couldn't he. But if he did know, why hadn't he said anything? How could he have kept such a large secret from her? She had so many questions and desperately wanted the answers, but a part of her was scared to know the truth. The truth was usually such a simple thing, but she knew already that the truth she sought, was not one that wanted to be found and could hurt the people who mattered most.

Zack kept his eye on Rory as he called his father. His conversation was short and vague; having decided it best to explain everything in detail once he arrived. Zack wasn't entirely looking forward to the event. It would be the first time he'd seen his father in over six months and their reunion would be spent discussing a woman who'd been dead for twenty years.

"Rory" he spoke quietly as he knelt in front of her. "My dad will be here in a few minutes. Maybe he can sort this all out for us."

"It just doesn't make sense Zack" Rory whispered, her voice wavering as she rested her chin on her knees, pulling them up to her chest. "You're saying that Sydney Bristow is my mother, but she can't be. My father would never lie to me like that; I know him."

"I don't have any easy answers for you Rory" Zack said, wishing with everything in his being that he did. Unsure of what to do to offer her comfort, Zack settled for taking the small afghan, his grandmother had knit for him when he was in college, and draping it over her exposed legs. He touched her forehead, drawing her hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"Zack" she whispered.

"Yeah" his voice was equally quiet, trying to keep everything as calm as possible for her.

"Something's burning."

Zack sniffed the air briefly before taking off in a hurry in the direction of the kitchen. The alfredo sauce had bubbled over creating a burning mess over the stove, and a ruined pot on the burner. After setting the pot in the sink and turning off the stove, he walked to the entranceway, drying his hands on a dishtowel. "Well it's official, your birthday dinner just went up in flames; literally."

"Zack, I'm sorry" she apologized, fresh tears snaking down her cheeks.

"Rory, it's alright. It's just dinner, I was joking." He moved towards her but was stopped by the doorbell. "That's my dad" he said before opening the door.

"Zack attack" Eric Weiss greeted his son affectionately wrapping him in a tight hug. "How are ya buddy, I missed you."

"Great, I missed you too" he said enthusiastically.

"So what's this about Mike telling me you have a new girlfriend? An up and coming young hot shot, are the words I've heard to describe her." Weiss skipped right to the point as he stepped inside Zack's apartment.

"Dad, stop. She's here."

"She's here" Weiss asked surprised and lowered his voice. "What's up with the cryptic phone call to come"

"Something's happened… I need your help."

"She's not pregnant is she"

"Dad, no" Zack sighed. "She's not."

"Can you blame me" Weiss asked. "Last time you sounded this desperate was because of Monica."

"Well she's not." Zack remembered the event well. His best friend from High School, Monica, had gotten pregnant in her senior year and Zack enlisted his father in helping Monica break the news to her parents and boyfriend. "But this is about her."

"How could I possibly be of help" Weiss asked turning to face his son as he closed the door.

"I need to know about my parents" came a quiet voice from the living room.

Weiss turned to the muffled voice and took a few steps into the living room. "I have no idea how I can help" he shrugged watching as Zack approached the couch and squatted before her. As he stepped closer to his son he could see the girl more clearly and it was obvious by the tearstains on her face that she was more than just a little upset. "I'm sorry Ms Su"

"Aurora" she whispered softly. "My name is Aurora."

Weiss looked to his son for help. "I don't know what you want"

Zack reached for the open photo album and passed it to his father. "Rory was looking at these old pictures."

"Your third birthday" he smiled fondly. "Now that was a great party. It was a cowboy theme if I remember correctly."

Zack turned the pages and stopped on the one of Will Tippin and Sydney Bristow. "It's this picture, she recognized it."

"What are you saying Zack" Weiss asked, obvious confusion spreading across his face.

Rory's hands trembled as she unfolded the identical photograph and placed it beside the other, both she and Zack watching Weiss' reaction closely. "These are my parents" she whispered, her voice soft, and betraying every emotion she felt. "Kathryn and Jonah Summers."

Weiss' face paled slightly and he blinked several times unsure if he was really seeing what he thought he was.

"I'm not sure what to believe anymore Mr. Weiss."

As Weiss glanced up at Rory, he was struck at the resemblance to Sydney he'd initially overlooked. They shared similar features, the nose and the chin. And he was sure that hidden underneath the tears and the anguish he would find two well placed dimples. She wasn't solely Sydney's daughter however. Her resemblance to Will Tippin was held in her striking blue eyes.

Zack watched his father flip over the photograph and read the words on the back. The ink was slightly blurred and well faded, but it didn't prevent him from recognizing his own father's handwriting.

__

'Thought you might like this one. –W'

Zack glanced up at his father's face and his mouth dropped open. "You knew" he accused and sat down beside Rory, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I"

"You didn't seem surprised. You- who else knows huh? Uncle Mike? Dixon? Marshall? You all knew and kept it from us, from her."

"Zack" Weiss started to speak, but his efforts were useless against his son's anger.

"How could you do it" Zack was unrelenting and it only furthered Rory's distress as she started to cry. "How could they do it"

"They didn't know"

"But you did"

"Yes, I knew"

Zack stood and faced his father, anger permeating from every bone in his body. "Why didn't you tell me"

"Because I didn't know it was her" Weiss exploded and sank down in the armchair covering his face his hands and rubbing his eyes wearily. He looked up at their faces, shocked from his own confession. "I only knew that there was a baby, a girl. I didn't even know her real name."

A thick layer of silence descending upon the three as Zack sat down beside Rory again. She was the first to speak.

"Is Sydney Bristow my mother"

Weiss nodded. "Yes, no-I don't know" he shrugged sighing. "Short of comparing your DNA, all I know is that you have the picture. I honestly don't have any easy answers for you Aurora. All I know is that Sydney was pregnant when she disappeared. A year later, she died."

"And my father"

"She wouldn't tell me" Weiss explained. "I'd be lying if I didn't admit that Will Tippin was my first guess. His disappearance from Witness Protection- he didn't have the resources to do it himself. I tried to convince Sydney to stay. I told her that I would help, that if she wanted-if she was afraid of something, she could name me as the father." Weiss cringed at Rory's sudden gasp as Zack removed his arm from around her shoulders. "Which, I'm not" he mentally kicked himself for scaring them. "Sydney and I were good friends, but there is absolutely no possibility that I am her baby's father." He could practically see the relief wash over both as Zack took Rory's hand and squeezed it gently. "There is one way to know, almost guaranteed."

"What is it"

"About three months before Sydney's death, she came to me. She needed to access information from the CIA's computers and we hacked in. She also needed a place to sleep, her and the baby." Weiss picked up the photograph and glanced briefly at the image. "She called her Dawn, but I kind of got the impression that, that wasn't her real name."

"You said there was a way to know for sure" Rory interrupted.

Weiss nodded. "Dawn had a birthmark. I saw it when I changed her diaper, I'm just trying to remember where it is…"

"A tear shape, on my chest" her voice trembled as she touched her shirt identifying where the birthmark would be.

Weiss nodded remembering the shape and location.

"So Sydney Bristow is my mother…" Rory said softly.

"It appears that way, God." Weiss sighed and sat back in his chair studying Rory. "And now you're in the CIA. Your father"

"He doesn't know" Rory admitted. "He thinks I work for a publishing company. You never told anyone about her baby…about me"

Weiss shook his head. "She asked me not to. She never even told her father."

"He knows" Rory realized standing up. "Sydney- my mother, she might never have told him, but he knows now. A few days after he was shot, I went to see him in the hospital, and I showed him the picture. He didn't say anything, but the truth is that he didn't look shocked either."

"It would make sense" Zack added. "All the sudden, he's at the office every day and he has taken an interest in you."

"But why wouldn't he say anything" Rory asked Weiss. "Why wouldn't he tell me the truth"

"No one really knows why Jack does what he does." Weiss was almost apologetic as he spoke. "He has his own reasons and motives for whatever he does. Maybe he just couldn't understand why Sydney left in the first place."

"Why did she"

"I don't know Rory." Weiss stood and approached the two; he squatted down to their level. "I asked her, but she wouldn't tell me. I know part of the reason was because she was pregnant, but there was more to it than just that. She changed, something inside of her changed"

"She went rogue" Rory clarified.

"Yes" Weiss nodded. "A few months after she disappeared, after you were born. There were rumors, sightings and suspicions. I can't tell you very much, it is classified. You were about six months old when she came to me. I only saw you for a few hours, but Aurora, you need to believe me when I tell you that Sydney loved you more than anything in this world. Despite what she did and her reasons for doing so, you were the most important thing in the world to her."

Rory smiled briefly and stood. "I should go" she said, her voice trembling and her effort to hold back her tears did not go unnoticed by either man.

"No, stay" Zack protested following her to the door. "I'll make something else for dinner, or we can order something."

"Zack, no" she shook her head sadly and retrieved her coat and shoes from the closet. "I need to go. I need to be by myself, to think. Please…"

"I could go with you" he suggested. "In case you need anything."

Rory drew her hand up and cupped his cheek. "I'll be fine" she whispered and kissed his cheek.

Rory took the photograph Weiss handed her and thanked him. She placed the well-creased picture in her pocket and offered a smile. "Thank you for your help Agent Weiss. I know everyone is very pleased to have you back and I'm looking forward to working with you."

Weiss nodded and managed a smile. "Sydney would have been very proud of what you'd become. I understand that you're angry at the secrecy, but Aurora, please remember that she loved you."

Rory nodded. "Thank you." She turned to Zack and surprised him by placing a chaste kiss on his lips. "I'll call you tomorrow" she said. "I'm just going to go home."

"Promise"

"Promise."

Zack watched as she opened the door and then closed it quietly behind her. "Dad"

"Yeah"

"Do you think she'll be okay? She seemed really calm, too calm."

"She's in shock Zack. She doesn't know what to think, or how to feel. She's numb… but I think she will be okay. It'll be difficult, what she found out today is confusing, but I really think she will be okay. She just needs some time."

Zack nodded and opened the front door to watch her drive off.

Rory's hands trembled as she searched her purse for her keys and managed to drop them twice as she tried to open her car door. As she drove down the street, Rory saw Zack watching her in the rearview mirror and the tears that she'd been holding back began to fall. She blinked rapidly trying to keep her vision clear and managed to make it to a nearly empty mall parking lot before falling apart.

The quiet tears quickly turned into gasping sobs as she lay her head on the steering wheel trying to get herself under control. What she wanted to do, was to tear up the photograph of her parents and yell and scream at the injustice, the lies, and deception. She wasn't Aurora Summers, Aurora Summers was a fictional person created by her parents' imagination. But why? The question of why was the largest on her mind. It was the one occupying all her thoughts as she struggled to understand the events that had taken place.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and inspected her damaged makeup in the mirror. Grabbing a handful of tissues from her purse, she tried to repair it as best she could and at least looked somewhat presentable. Rory unfolded the photograph and traced her finger over her mother's face. Sydney Bristow. It was strange to think of her mother by that name. She had always been Kathryn or Kate Johnson-Summers, a college professor, not Sydney Bristow, not an American spy.

As she examined the photograph, it was the first time she'd considered the possibility that maybe her father, wasn't really her father. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to even admit to herself that there was a possibility that Jonah Summers, or rather Will Tippin, was not her father, but the thoughts were overwhelming.

According to Zack, Sydney and Agent Vaughn were together after his wife Lauren was killed. According to his father, Sydney had been pregnant when she'd left LA and Will Tippin was still in Witness Protection. That information forced Rory to question why and how Sydney could have become pregnant with her friend's baby.

Rory clenched the steering wheel in her hands as she fought to gain control over the emotions that were threatening to drown her. Rory put her car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot. She needed answers and there was only one person who had them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack stepped out of the elevator and into the parking garage where his car was located, The floor was deserted with the exception of a few cars from the night employees. His footsteps echoed on the pavement as he crossed the lot to his car. It had been a long night and a failed mission resulting in the death of an undercover operative in Wales and Jack was looking forward to a hot shower and a few hours sleep before returning in the morning to begin debrief reports.

As he neared his car he though he heard something but a quick survey of the area revealed nothing out of the ordinary. He unlocked his door and froze hearing the sound again; light footsteps from behind him.

"Mr. Bristow"

Jack turned, surprised to find Rory there. "Agent Summers, what are you doing here"

Rory took a few steps toward him. Her coat was pulled tight and her arms crossed over her chest, shielding herself against the cool night air. "Working late… research." She watched as Jack reached across and deposited his briefcase on the passenger seat. She studied him, as she had done so many times before, but still not finding any similarities between the two. "I need to ask you some questions…" her voice trailed off quietly. "About my mother."

"Pardon" Jack asked stepping forwards, not having heard her.

Rory opened her mouth to speak, trying to get up the courage to say the words again, but she couldn't. "A case I'm researching."

Jack checked his watch. "Summers, it's after one am. Is it a matter of immediate national security"

Rory shook her head. "Not exactly. Please"

"Well then it can wait. Make an appointment with my secretary tomorrow morning."

Rory swallowed hard trying to clear the lump in her throat. "Yes Sir."

Jack got into his car and was about to close his door but stopped. "Agent Summers"

"Yes"

"Go home, get some sleep. You look tired."

"Yes Sir."

Rory stepped back and watched as his car disappeared down the ramp. All she wanted to say to him was "I know" but she couldn't force herself to do it. She couldn't tell him just like that, despite the fact that she was sure he already knew exactly who she was. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed while walking towards the elevator.

"Rory"

"Hi Zack" her lips formed a smile at the sound of his voice. "I'm sorry it's so late."

"Are you alright? I was worried, I left at least a dozen messages."

"I know, I'm sorry" she apologized knowing the number had been close to two dozen. "I turned my phone off. I went to the beach, I just needed some time to think, to try and wrap my head around all this."

"You sure you're alright? Want me to come over"

"No, Zack, really I'm fine" she said softly. "I'm tired, I'm just going to try and get some sleep."

"What are you going to do about… you know"

"I have a meeting with him tomorrow. I guess we'll just take it from there, see what he has to say."

"I can be there if you want me to."

"Thank you" she said sincerely and waited outside the elevator. "But I think I need to do this myself."

"Alright, you'll call me if you need anything"

"Sure… and Zack"

"Yeah"

Rory wiped the tears from her eyes and struggled to regulate her breathing as she spoke. "Aside from the monumental life altering secrets that were revealed tonight… I had a wonderful time with you and I'll take a raincheck on that birthday dinner, if you're still offering"

"Absolutely."

Rory could practically hear the smile in his voice. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Rory."

"Night."

Rory ended the call and turned her phone off. She pressed the button and then stepped in when it reached the ground floor. Her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for the doors to close and take her to the rotunda. She wanted answers and she was not about to wait for Jack Bristow to schedule a meeting at his convenience.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Weiss turned in his bed finding it difficult to sleep. He couldn't believe that Sydney's little girl was all grown up and dating his own son of all people. The circumstances were almost too unbelievable to bear. Despite everything Sydney had done to protect her daughter, she'd unknowingly found herself a part of the CIA anyway.

Weiss smiled slightly and folded his arms under his head, as he remembered the first time he'd seen Rory.

__

Weiss quietly closed Zack's bedroom door and proceeded down the stairs. He was passing by the front door when there was a quiet knock. He approached it slowly and looked through the peephole curious as to who would be knocking on his door at midnight on a Sunday.

"Sydney" he opened the door quickly and found her dripping wet on the front porch.

"Hi Eric" she said softly and squinted at the brightness as he turned on the porch light.

"God Syd, are you all right" he asked taking note of the black eye and cut across her cheek as she stepped into the light.

"I need your help…" her voice trailed off slightly and she spoke again, now more softly. "We need your help."

"We"

Sydney nodded and opened her coat revealing the young sixth-month-old baby nestled in a snuggly. The child was asleep, its cheek resting against her mother's chest and its tiny fist balled up near the base of her throat. "This is my daughter. Please Weiss."

"Of course." He held open the door and she smiled gratefully as she passed him by.

"Syd" Weiss held out a cup of coffee to her several minutes later after taking her to the living room.

"Zack's getting so big" she said almost proudly and set the recent photo of his sixth birthday party back on the mantle. "I can't believe it's been almost a year since I've seen him." She accepted the cup of coffee and wrapped her hands around the mug. "Thank you."

"It's been a while." He sat down on the sofa watching as Sydney adjusted a blanket over the baby who slept in Zack's old playpen.

"You look good" she smiled while sitting down and gave him a quick once over, noticing that he had lost more weight in the year she'd been gone.

"I wish I could say the same" Weiss said honestly and gently touched the bruise on her cheek. "You look tired Syd, do you even sleep anymore"

"Not much, but enough" she confessed, her gaze travelling over to the baby who let out a deep sigh as she slept. "She only just started to sleep through the night, and before that it was colic and an ear infection, but she's alright now."

"What's her name" Weiss took a sip of coffee and noted the concern spread over Sydney's face at his question.

Sydney stared at the baby as she thought over his question. It was such a simple, innocent question that would usually require very little thought to answer, but not tonight. She jumped to her feet at her daughter's first cry and plucked her out of the playpen, before she could cry loud enough to wake Zack. Placing a kiss on the girl's temple, Sydney held her daughter close and comforted her as she sat back down on the sofa. "I don't want to involve you, any more than I have to Weiss."

"How could telling me her name hurt"

"I-I just don't want you to know any more than you already do."

"Do I need to be worried about Zack's safety Sydney"

"No" she said firmly. "I would never put him at risk, you know that. No one knows about her Eric, not even my father. Just you, I need to keep it that way"

"I understand Sydney. You have my word."

They both smiled and laughed as the girl stretched and butted Sydney in the chin with the top of her head as she tried to snuggle into her mother's neck.

"Auntie Syd"

Both Sydney and Weiss turned in the direction the sleepy voice had come from. Six year old Zack in red fire truck pajamas stood in the doorway holding a teddy bear by its foot.

"Hi sweetheart."

She smiled at his son, but Weiss noticed how tired she was; not just physically, but so emotionally drained of caring for herself and for her child that enjoying even the simplest of things took effort.

Zack ran over to her and launched himself on her, wrapping his small arms around her waist, barely missing the baby who squirmed at the sudden intrusion. "Daddy said you went away." His lower lip protruded in such a way that made her smile and feel incredibly guilty at the same time. "Are you gonna stay"

Weiss caught her eye discretely telling her that he wanted an answer to that question as well.

"No." Sydney looked away, masking the emotion in her eyes as Zack's lower lip began to tremble.

"Are you mad at us" he asked with a quiver.

Weiss remained silent allowing Sydney to deal with the situation. He knew it was killing her, but he wasn't about to lie to his son.

"No Zack Attack" she hugged him briefly as best she could and kissed the top of his head. "I could never be mad at you or your Daddy. You're my family, I love you"

"And Uncle Mike too" he asked innocently.

"Uncle Mike too" she nodded. "I know it's hard for you to understand, but I love you and everyone else and that's why I have to stay away."

"That's not fair"

"I know." She did know and she whole-heartedly agreed with a six-year-old.

"Zack, time for you to go back to bed." Weiss stood and held out his hand to his son.

"But I want to stay with Aunt Sydney" he refused stubbornly.

"You need to go with your dad" Sydney said, gently giving him a little push off her lap.

"Whose that" Zack pointed to the baby in her arms he'd initially overlooked.

Sydney turned her daughter around and settled the baby on her knee so Zack could see her. "This" she said proudly as the little girl lifted her head and stared at Zack intently. "Is the most beautiful girl that you will ever meet in your entire life."

Zack caught the baby's attention and she smiled at him, reaching out a chubby hand to touch his. He caught her hand and stood entranced watching the baby wrap her fingers around his.

"Zack" Weiss called his name reminding him that he still had to go back to bed.

"Bye Aunt Syd." He leaned up on his tiptoes and hugged her. "I'll miss you."

Sydney nodded and kissed his cheek. "I want you to do something for me" she requested wiping a tear from her eye. "Can you do it for me" He nodded solemnly prompting her to continue and blink away the tears from her eyes. "I want you to be good. Be a good boy for your dad and tell him that you love him all the time, even when you're all grown up."

Zack's eyes grew wide as he listened; the dark depths seemed to understand that this was an important life lesson he was receiving.

"You may not understand some of this now, but you will some day so try hard to remember." She lowered her voice slightly and Weiss had to strain to hear. "Don't do what others expect of you. Do what you expect of yourself. When you make a promise, do your very best to keep it. Follow what's right here" she gently tapped the heart hidden in his chest. "Even if others say that it's wrong, if you think it's right, then it is. When you're all grown up, don't lead girls on, but be honest and kind and treat them with respect. You're going to get hurt along the way, but I promise, it'll all be worth it when you meet the one girl you want to spend the rest of your life with. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated." Her hands were restless as they stroked his hair and his cheek. "Stand up for what you think is right, for what you believe in, and don't be afraid to speak your mind. Don't do something just because it's what everyone else is doing. Do it, because you want to." Sydney's voice quivered as she spoke her last few lines. "Grow up to be whatever you want to be and most important of all… don't be afraid to love, love whenever you can and as often as you can. Always remember that I love you."

Zack nodded. "I'll remember, I promise." He hugged her again. "Bye Aunt Sydney."

"Bye Zack."

Zack turned and walked towards his father, but changed his mind and stopped. Turning around he ran back to Sydney and surprised her by leaning over and gently pressing his lips to the baby's cheek. "Bye Baby."

After putting Zack back to bed, Weiss returned to the living room to find Sydney breast feeding her baby. He left to give her some privacy and went to the kitchen to make a sandwich, not knowing when she last ate. The baby had finished feeding when he returned and he set Sydney's sandwich on the end table beside her before resuming his seat next to her on the couch.

"Do you think he'll say anything" Sydney asked referring to Zack.

Weiss shook his head. "I doubt it, he was pretty tired, he probably won't even remember in the morning."

"I suppose it's for the best, we'll be gone by then" she nodded and Weiss was struck for the first time at how quiet she'd become. If he didn't know any better, he'd have thought she was an entirely different person than the one he remembered.

"She's beautiful Sydney." Weiss smiled at the baby and gently touched the top of her downy head. The baby turned her head towards him and he was rewarded with a smile and a look at the bluest eyes he had ever seen in his life.

Sydney smiled broadly as her daughter reached out and grabbed Weiss' outstretched hand pulling herself towards him. She laughed as the child latched onto him and he had but no choice to take her. Moments later they sat in silence as Weiss rubbed the baby's back and she fell asleep on his shoulder. Sydney shifted closer to Weiss and leaned her head down on his other shoulder. He lifted his arm and put it around her shoulders, allowing her head to slip onto his chest. "I've missed you Sydney" he whispered in her ear listening to the quiet slow rhythm of her breathing and the slightly faster respiration's of her daughter. "We all have."

Sydney didn't respond, but her hand snaked over covering his on her daughter's back. "Dawn" she whispered ever so quietly, fighting the exhaustion that was ready to claim her. "I call her Dawn."

End of Flashback

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Marshall"

Marshall dropped his coffee at the sound of Jack Bristow's angry voice. He looked up to see Jack striding through the rotunda towards him and wiped the liquid off his pants.

"We may have a security breach. I need you to lock down the rotunda, all workstations, doors and offices."

"What's going on" he asked sitting down at the nearest computer and logging in.

"Someone hacked into the mainframe using my ID and password" Jack explained.

"It'll take me a few minutes to isolate the IP and trace it, but we are in silent lock down."

"Marshall" another voice called.

"Agent Weiss" he greeted Zack. "And Agent Weiss" he looked up smiling broadly at Eric. "Good to have you back."

"Thanks Marshall" Weiss said quickly. "Listen have you see Agent Summers this morning"

"Rory, no" he shook his head. "But I only just got here and now there's the security problem"

"What security problem" Vaughn asked depositing his coat and briefcase on the desk beside Marshall.

"Someone hacked into the system using Mr. Bristow's account" Marshall explained. He typed a few last commands into the computer before looking up at Jack. "The program's running, it'll just take a few minutes to locate the source."

"Can you check if Agent Summers has signed in today" Zack asked impatiently and Vaughn instantly wondered what had him all worked up.

"Is something wrong Agent Weiss"

Zack glanced at Jack, but didn't respond to his question.

"Yes, there she is." Marshall pointed to the computer screen and identified Rory's sign in time. "Actually, security has her entering the building early this morning at 1:47 AM. I guess she's a bit of a night owl. Her next entry is the archives on the fourth floor at 2:34 AM."

"What would she be doing in the archives" Vaughn wondered aloud.

"Jack, I need to speak with you" Weiss interrupted garnering a surprised look from Vaughn.

"Not now." Jack squinted at the screen as it analyzed the progress made in tracking the security breach.

"It can't wait."

Jack looked up from the computer, surprised at the angry expression on Weiss' face. "Now is not the time"

"That's strange" Marshall interrupted and typed a few commands into the computer.

"What"

"The source of the breach" Marshall looked up at them, confusion written across his face. "It's coming from this building, from your office."

Jack hadn't been to his office yet, but he'd been made aware of the security breach the moment he tried to enter the building and had immediately instigated the lockdown procedures. He motioned to the security team to follow him to his office along with Vaughn, Weiss, Zack and even Marshall.

Weiss quickened his pace and caught up with Jack as they stopped outside of his office door and drew their guns. He grabbed Jack's arm before he opened the door. "She knows" he said quietly so only Jack was able to hear.

"Excuse me"

"Rory knows the truth" he said ignoring Jack's cold stoic face. "And the only reason I am giving you a heads up is because she has been through too much to add your betrayal to the list. If she is the one behind this door, and I think that she is, you'd better think up a damned good excuse for not telling her."

Jack didn't respond to Weiss' statement, but he did glance at Vaughn who clearly wondered what was going on and to Zack whose expression showed nothing but anger. His hand hesitated on the doorknob before turning it and opening the door to his darkened office.

Their suspicions were immediately confirmed as the large built in TV screens displayed the file, which was currently running on Jack's computer.

"We have it under control" Jack dismissed the guards.

"What's going on" Vaughn asked in shock, unable to tear his eyes from the video, which appeared to be on a twenty second loop. "Why is that video on? Summers" he repeated. "Why is that video on"

The video was an old, grainy, black and white footage of Sydney Bristow's murder.

Rory sat in the middle of the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest and old files, notes and pictures surrounding her. For the first time since they had entered the room she looked up, her eyes red and raw from crying and full of unshed tears. She looked back down, not answering.

"Rory are you alright" Zack asked moving towards her but she held up a hand halting him in his step.

"Please leave me alone" she requested not even looking at him.

"Aurora" Jack began.

"I really don't want to talk to you right now" she interrupted, her voice trembling as she attempted to suppress her cries.

"What is going on" Vaughn repeated his question and glanced around the office, trying to understand why there files spread out over the floor, why Rory was crying, and why the video of Sydney's murder was flashing across every screen in the office.

"Vaughn, please go get Agent Summers a glass of water" Jack requested.

"But Jack"

"Go" he ordered and surprisingly Vaughn obeyed, but not before shooting a questioning look at Weiss who simply looked away.

"There are aspects of this situation that you don't understand." Jack took another step towards Rory.

"Aspects of this situation" she laughed bitterly and stood, tears beginning to fall once more. "No aspects of this situation can excuse what you did." She crossed her arms over her chest and took a step forward, challenging him. "You lied to me, about the most important thing in my life. Is Sydney my mother"

"Yes."

His answer was without hesitation, without regret and it angered her. "How long have you known" she asked. "Since I was born? Since I came to LA? Since I showed you the picture? When" she demanded.

"Since the set up."

"That long" she whispered. "How… why… who else knows" she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Just Dixon and myself… And Carrie Flinkman" he added.

"Carrie" Marshall repeated stunned that his wife had not told him.

"And you all kept it from me."

Rory's face was twisted in pain and agony and very reminiscent of his daughter's when he'd told her the truth about Project Christmas. "Yes" Jack answered calmly as he watched his words destroy his granddaughter. "I had reasons, it was for your protection."

"I don't care" she shouted at him. Her eyes fell on his desk and in rage, in one sweeping motion she had knocked everything off of it including a glass paperweight that now lay broken on the floor.

"Rory stop" Zack tried to go to her but Jack told motioned for him to back of.

Rory visibly shook as she retrieved a framed photograph from the ground. She trembled, whether it be from exhaustion or rage didn't matter. She was out of control and everyone in that office knew it. She didn't flinch as the paperweight sliced into her palm and she picked of the photograph. It was the one of Jack and Sydney, she'd seen the day before. She didn't feel pain as the blood trickled from her hand and dripped off her wrist splattering on the floor beneath. She only wanted for him, for Jack, to feel as much pain as she was. "I don't care" she repeated raising her arm. "You should have told me." Her arm went higher, holding the photograph tightly in her grasp and her voice grew louder. Any person in the rotunda who had not been aware of the previous events would now know. "She was my mother" Rory let the photograph go and it smashed into the wall beside the door.

Vaughn dropped the glass he'd been holding and it mixed with the broken shards on the ground. He picked up the photograph from the floor, a look of shock, confusion, or possibly despair filtered across his face as he stood. His eyes met Rory's; "Sydney was your mother"

Rory opened her mouth to speak but didn't know what to say. She couldn't stop crying and she knew that no words could explain it to Vaughn. In a trembled whisper she spoke only two words to him.

"I'm sorry."


	11. Part Eleven: The Magic of Truth and Caro...

A/N Sorry it took so long to get this out to you guys and please forgive any errors, it is completely un-beta'd. I am looking for a new beta if anyone is interested let me know!

Enjoy  
Erin

Illusion of Sin

Part 11: The Magic of Carousels and Truth.

"I'm sorry."

Her voice was heartbreaking to anyone else, but to Vaughn it was devastating. Sydney had a daughter. Sydney Bristow, his Sydney, the woman he'd never been able to get over, was Aurora Summers' mother and everyone had known it. They'd all hid it from him. The one thing he was certain was that Aurora hadn't had any knowledge of this. She was an innocent pawn in the deception that was her life. She was apologizing to him, but there was no reason to. It wasn't her fault.

"It's alright," he said softly to her, surprised that the words were coming from his mouth.

"Vaughn," Dixon suddenly appeared next to him gently laying a hand on his shoulder. "Would you wait in my office?"

"You knew too?" he asked.

"I did," he nodded and looked up at Rory. "Aurora, I am sorry."

Rory looked away not meeting his eyes; the sting of betrayal was far too deep. She was vaguely aware of Zack wrapping a white handkerchief around her hand and the discomfort she felt as he pulled it tight and knotted it.

"Marshall?" Carrie walked into the office careful to avoid the shards of broken glass. "Come with me please."

"Agent Weiss… Zack," Jack clarified as both turned to look at him. "Please take Aurora down to my car; it's on the first level."

"Yes Sir," he nodded and took Rory's arm guiding her out of the office.

Rory kept her eyes on the floor as they walked towards the elevator. The entire office seemed to stop and watch every step they took. They'd all heard the screaming and the shouting and now the whispered rumors began. The legendary Sydney Bristow had a daughter, and she was one of their own. First Vaughn had left, then Marshall and Carrie and now Zack and Rory and just by the look on their faces, their co-workers knew that something important had just happened.

The moment the elevator doors closed, Rory surprised Zack by launching herself into his arms. "I'm so sorry I lied to you," she apologized, her words muffled into his chest. "I just couldn't stand by and wait, I had to know what happened. I had to find the truth."

"Shhh, it's alright," he whispered in her ear, rubbing her back gently. "I just wish you would have called me, I could have been there with you." He pushed her away slightly and used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "You shouldn't have had to do that alone."

"No," she shook her head. "I did. Zack, she killed my mother. Irina Derevko, Jack's wife, my grandmother, she had my mother killed."

Zack sighed and pulled her close, fighting as she tried to push him away. She gripped the material of his shirt in her fingers as she dug into his shoulders. His one arm wrapped around her waist, holding her body tightly against his. The other stroked her hair as he tucked her head under his chin, and listened to her murmured whispers of 'she killed my mother.'

Jack held the broken photo of his daughter in his hands, mindful of the jagged edges as he watched Rory and Zack leave his office. He returned the photo to his now empty desk and looked up at the only person left in the office. "How long have you known about my granddaughter Agent Weiss?"

Weiss fought the urge to look away. "Since before she was born."

"And you never said anything, to anyone."

"Sydney asked me not to. I didn't even know her name, or why Sydney was keeping her a secret. I wasn't about to betray her trust to tell you, you had a granddaughter."

"Even after she died?"

"I got a message from her a few weeks before she died. She told me that her daughter was safe, with her father." He watched as Jack reached for his coat and slipped it on. "What are you going to tell her?"

Jack ignored Weiss' question as he walked past him through the doorway and to the elevator.

Turning in the opposite direction, Weiss saw Vaughn grabbing his coat and heading to the elevator after Jack. "Vaughn wait." Weiss grabbed his shoulder to stop him from going to the elevator. "We need to talk."

"Weiss, what the hell are you doing?" Vaughn said irritated as the elevator doors closed. "I need to talk to Jack."

"No you don't-"

"Do you have any idea what just happened in there?" Vaughn asked. "Sydney is Rory's mother. She must have been pregnant when she left-"

"Mike stop, I know what you're thinking."

"With all due respect Weiss, you have no idea what I'm thinking-" Vaughn said and proceeded to the elevator.

"Yes I do, I've been there-"

Vaughn stopped short and turned to face Weiss. "What are you saying?"

Weiss glanced around at all their co-workers who were trying to watch them descretley, but were failing miserably. "Before she left, I made Sydney swear up and down that Rory wasn't yours."

"You what?"

It was the look in his best friend's eyes that nearly killed him. Weiss had been keeping a secret for the past twenty years and now it was finally coming to light. The truth was finally revealing itself. Weiss stepped towards Vaughn and lowered his voice. "I found the pregnancy test. Vaughn, she left two days later. I made her promise that Rory wasn't yours. I couldn't keep that from you."

"Then who?" he asked almost in disbelief, fearing that he already knew the answer.

"Will Tippin."

Jack saw them before they heard him approach. Rory and Zack stood beside his car. Rory leaned back against the door and Zack held her hands, releasing them every once and a while to wipe the tears from her cheeks. It was then that Jack realized the two were more than just co-workers, much more than just friends. It was the way Zack looked at her, and the way he held her hands, brushing his thumbs over her knuckles in a gentle repetitive manner just to remind her that he was there. It was an intimate gesture; it was a lover's gesture.

Zack dropped Rory's hands the moment Jack made his presence known. He nodded to Zack. "I'll take it from here Agent Weiss."

Zack looked to Rory for approval and she acknowledged it with a small nod of her head.

Jack opened the passenger door, "let's go for a drive."

Rory looked up at him, their eyes connecting for the first time. "I'm sorry about what happened," she said softly, her voice clearly demonstrating her exhaustion. "I've embarrassed you, and myself—"

"Get in the car Aurora."

She got in the car.

Rory glanced out the window watching the familiar sights pass by, blurring into what resembled an impressionist landscape.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Jack checked his mirrors before changing lanes and taking the next exit off the freeway. "Some place to talk."

He pulled the car to a stop a few minutes later and Rory was surprised at their location.

Jack pulled off his sunglasses as he stepped out of the car and came around to the other side opening Rory's door for her.

"A carousel?" she asked suspiciously.

"The Bristows have been coming here for decades, whenever they've had something important to discuss."

Rory eyed the now abandoned carousel. She pulled off her sunglasses, "decades indeed."

Jack walked over and took a seat on the bench, reluctantly, Rory followed. "Laura and I used to bring Sydney here shortly after we moved from Virginia. She always loved the horses, back when the ride was operational of course. No matter how many times we brought her, to her it was always pure magic. They closed it down about fifteen years ago." Jack stared straight ahead as he spoke and Rory remained silent allowing him the respect she wasn't quite so sure that he deserved. "Laura brought me here when she told me that she was pregnant; Sydney was three. Several weeks later, I came back from an operation and there was a message to meet her here. "This was where she told me that she lost baby. There used to be an ice cream vendor down the road a bit. Laura always had a vanilla cone and Sydney, a chocolate. I brought Sydney here, when I had to tell her that her mother died and again when I told her that I was going away on a long trip, to the federal penitentiary," he added. "The last was about twenty years later when she asked me about her future. The last time I came here, until now, was when Sydney asked me to meet her, but she never showed up. Instead I found a letter telling me that she was leaving LA, leaving the CIA and never coming back."

"Why do you call her Laura?"

"Because back then, life was simple. My life with Laura might have been built on a lie, but she was still my wife, and the mother of my child."

"Did you look for her?" Rory asked hesitantly.

"Of course, for months, but she disappeared completely. Sydney didn't want to be found." Jack turned to look at Rory for the first time since they'd sat down on the bench. "You would have been about a month old when the rumors started."

"The rumors that she went rogue?"

Jack nodded, "of course it can't really be disproved either way. There are those who will always believe the good and others who can't help themselves but look for the worst." He touched her hand gently surprised to find it so cold. "Your mother was many things Aurora, but she was not a traitor."

"You believe that?" she looked up at him, the hope evident in her eyes.

He nodded. "I do." He took her cold hand in his, warming it with the light touch. "For me it's not really a choice, but I suppose I choose to believe that whatever she did, or did not do, was to protect you."

"Did she die because of me?"

Most people would have reassured Rory that it was not her fault, but Jack Bristow was not the average person.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "As far as I know, Agent Weiss was the only person who knew you even existed."

Rory pulled her hand away, severing the connection to her grandfather. She stood wrapping her arms around herself as if shielding against an imaginary chill. "Except for you, and Dixon and Carrie Flinkman." She turned to face him. "Dixon, I can understand, but why Carrie? Why Carrie and not me?"

"I can't discuss that-"

"For Christ's sake, give me some answers please?"

The last word was said with such earnest, such pleading that he complied. "Carrie Flinkman works for the NSC," he responded quietly. "She's what I consider to be a Rambaldi expert-"

"Rambaldi?" Rory interrupted. "He was mentioned in your files, he was a prophet from hundreds of years ago. Nadia and the prophecy were mentioned too and my mother, she was the chosen one…"

"I see you did hack into my personal files," he said quietly noting the light blush that came over her cheeks.

"I'm not exactly proud of it," she admitted studying the blood splattered bandage on her hand and adjusting the knot slightly. "I had to know the truth."

"Carrie would know if there was any mention of a child. There were often several interpretations to his meanings."

"Did she find any?"

"No," Jack shook his head. "I couldn't tell you the truth, without first knowing why Sydney kept you a secret. Your safety has always been the most important factor in all of this."

Rory leaned back against the car door, her eyes cast down to the ground. She picked an imaginary piece of lint off her skirt and fiddled with the button on her blazer. Jack knew she was nervous. Her fingers were always busy when she was nervous. "I suppose we all have our secrets." She looked up at him, drawing a piece of windblown hair away from her face. "However, I can't help but feel that this is all just a conspiracy designed to manipulate me."

"It was never my intention to manipulate or to deceive you." Jack stood and tilted her chin slightly, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "I was trying to protect you. If I had told you without all the information-"

"I know, I know. I would have been even angrier that you weren't giving me the full answers." She pulled away from his touch, sighing as she shrugged out of her blazer and laid it on the front of his car. The early morning sun was hot on her back and she already knew that it was going to be a scorcher. "That's why you asked all those questions about my father." Jack nodded silently. "I don't know how much you know about my father, how well you knew him before my mother died, but he's a good man. He loves me. He raised me the best he could, given the circumstances. I always thought he was a little eccentric, but I guess he was just cautious. He was always just trying to keep me safe."

"You're angry with him," Jack noted the change in the tone of her voice.

"Of course I am." She slumped down on bench and nudged her heels off, feeling the hot pavement scorch the soles of her bare feet. "He lied to me about everything. I understand why he did it, but I'm not a child anymore. He should have told me the truth."

"He was trying to protect you. He wanted to keep you safe from this life." Rory looked up at him, her eyes squinting in the sunlight. "If Will, your father, had told you the truth, that he wasn't really Jonah Summers and that he was hiding you and himself for whatever reasons he had, what would you have done?"

"I'd have wanted to find out why," she nodded a hint of smile appearing on her lips. "My recruitment, my placement here… are you sure no one knew about me?"

"I investigated everything personally," he nodded and resumed his seat beside her. "Coincidence seems an understatement, but it is the truth. No one knew that you were really Sydney Bristow's daughter, at least not that I can find."

Rory smiled slowly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "She seemed like a really great woman, my mother…"

"She was, the most amazing, wonderful… person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing." Jack stood and held out his hand to her.

Rory stayed where she was. "I feel so bad for Agent Vaughn. He never deserved any of this and to find out how he did that she had me and I'm not…"

"He'll get over it," Jack answered crisply, his hand still outstretched.

"I am sorry for what I did to you." Rory studied a spot on the ground unable to meet his eyes. "I embarrassed you and myself… I just couldn't wait. I had to know the truth of where I came from- I had to know who I really was."

"Your actions are of no concern to me." Rory looked up at Jack as he spoke, her eyes full of apprehension. "You're my granddaughter. You're family. That's all that's important sweetheart."

Her lips parted into a small smile and then widened when he a slight smile traced his lips as well. She took his hand, squeezing it gently and stood. "Thank you grandfather."

The letters were etched in bronze, uniform and straight on the plaque. She had seen them once before, but looking at them now brought new meaning, new emotions for a woman who before had been just a name, but now was her creator; Sydney A. Bristow.

Rory was actually surprised to even see her mother's name listen on the plaque honoring fallen agents. She hadn't exactly died in the line of duty, but knowing the person that Jack was, as well as Agent Vaughn and Director Dixon, they'd probably all fought for her name to be on that plaque.

She'd seen the plaque on her first day and vaguely remembered noticing Sydney's name as it held the same year of death as her mother. She could never have imagined that a few months later she would learn that Sydney Bristow was in fact her mother. It was a daunting image, looking at the plaque and knowing what so many other agents had done for their country. The plaque was a constant reminder to what could befall herself in the line of duty.

"Agent Summers?"

Rory was startled by Marie, Dixon's secretary's voice, but she managed a brief smile at the lady who had always been so kind to her.

"Director Dixon would like you to join the meeting in the conference room, when you're ready."

"Thank you Marie." Rory walked over to her desk and pretended to search for a file, using it as a guise to calm her nerves and prepare herself for the meeting.

Following her discussion with Jack at the old carousel he'd dropped her off at her apartment where she'd managed a few hours of sleep, a shower and change of clothes before returning to the office. As soon as she'd stepped off the elevator the atmosphere of the rotunda had changed. A few co-workers offered smiles or nods of hello, but most tried to pretend they hadn't noticed her; of course they failed miserably. Rory was quite aware that the rumors were circulating and she decided that there was no reason to try ignoring them or acting as if nothing had happened. After depositing her purse and jacket on her desk she had walked over to the plaque which hung on a wall off to the side and out of the view of most of the office staff. She wasn't sure how long she'd stood at the plaque until Marie interrupted her, but she assumed it to be longer than she should have.

Rory took a sip of coffee from the cup on her desk and grabbed the two most recent files she had been working on in case they were needed in the meeting. Her eye caught something on the corner of the desk and she moved several files that were covering it. It was a book; an old hard cover copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

"It was your mother's; I thought you might like to have it." Rory looked up at Weiss in surprise; her fingers tracing the silver lettering.

"My mother's?" she whispered, her eyes growing wide and unconsciously filling with tears.

Weiss nodded. "It's a third edition. I bought it for her to replace the one that was burned in the fire. It was important to her, a first edition; Sydney's mother had given it to her when she was a child." Weiss cleared his throat slightly and Rory was touched that he was so open with her. "She gave it to me when she left."

"Thank you." Rory's voice was soft and strained as she struggled to control her emotions.

"Open it."

Rory complied with his request and was stunned to find a picture of Sydney, holding a baby. Her tears could not be hidden as they splashed down her cheeks and her hands trembled as they touched the photograph.

It wasn't a very good photograph, showing mostly only a profile of the two, but it was treasured none the less. Sydney sat on a beige sofa with six month old Rory in her lap. Rory looked completely content as she slept resting her cheek against her mother's chest and Sydney's head was bent forwards kissing the top of her daughter's head.

"She never knew I took it." Weiss tried without success to swallow the lump in his throat, but his voice wavered as he spoke. "I thought it important that you have it. I hope you know Rory, that your mother loved you more than anything in this world. I could see that when she came to see me. She would have died rather than let anything happen to you and if she could see you now, she would be so proud of you."

Rory nodded and clutched the book tightly to her chest unable to say the words to thank him properly.

Weiss squeezed her shoulder gently and nodded in the direction of the conference room. "I'll see you in there when you're ready."

Rory turned back to her desk and took another sip of coffee, it was cold now, but that didn't really matter. She wiped the tears away from her cheeks, suddenly grateful for not having worn any make up that day and grabbed the files she had selected. On a last second whim she grabbed the book Weiss had given her and tucked it inside one of the files; she wanted her mother with her on this one.

She slipped into the conference room virtually unnoticed, but was met with an angered discussion between Vaughn, Zack, Weiss, Jack and Dixon. Marshall was trying to get everyone to calm down while Carrie was sitting back seemingly unbothered by the events unfolding in front of her and she gave Rory a small wave and smile when she entered.

"You have no proof that this has anything to do with her mother."

"That's why we're being cautious Zack."

"She won't stand for it, I know she won't."

"It's for her protection-"

"She hated the safe house the first time; she's not going to go for it again."

"Settle down everyone, arguing about it isn't going to accomplish anything."

"Well if we'd have known from the beginning who she really was then maybe this wouldn't be necessary."

"Your opinion, Agent Vaughn is of no concern to me."

"Well maybe that's the problem Jack, you don't consider anyone else's opinion-"

"I was doing what I thought was best-"

"That's what you claim, but your intentions are always your own-"

"ENOUGH!" Rory slammed her files down on the desk angrily, startling the others who hadn't noticed her presence in the room and silencing them immediately. "Excuse me, but I am right here thank you very much. While I respect the fact that you all have a past history with my mother, let me remind you that I am not her. It's been twenty years since she died and forgive me, but I highly doubt that any enemies she had are still alive and would give a damn about me, let alone, even know that I am her daughter."

"Rory we were just trying-"

"I know what you were trying to do Zack," she interrupted and calmly took a seat next to him. "And I appreciate the concern, all of you," she said glancing around at the others. "But I can take care of myself."

Jack eased back in his chair slightly, paying particular attention out of the corner of his eye to the edge of the table where he had a perfect view of the younger Agent Weiss holding tightly to his granddaughter's hand. "What are your plans?" he asked knowing her well enough to know that she already had a game plan in mind.

"I want to go home," her voice showed both relief and exhaustion at the thought. Relief, because she hadn't seen her father in months, and exhaustion, at the events of the preceding days. "I need to see my dad and make sure that he's okay. I need to give him a chance to explain, I need to tell him the truth." She felt Zack squeezing her hand tightly in reassurance and smiled slightly.

"You shouldn't go alone-" Vaughn said.

"Yes I do," Rory shook her head firmly. "I need to do this myself."

"But-"

"She'll be fine," Jack interrupted.

Rory was surprised at his new found confidence in her. She looked him in the eyes and for a fleeting moment she saw the man from the carousel. She saw the grandfather who was just trying to protect his daughter's child, the man who was just trying to hold on to a piece of his daughter. Whatever insight she'd seen into his life was quickly replaced by the cold demeanor he portrayed as he arranged his files. "Thank you," she smiled slightly at him determined not to let the abruptivness of his nature bother her.

Dixon cleared his throat and Rory focused her attention on their superior. "I'll have a plane ready for your departure within the hour," he stated and removed his wire frame glasses. "I need you back here tomorrow. I'll give you twenty four hours, but if you're not back here, I will send someone after you."

"Thirty six?" she requested. "There's some place I need to go, before I see my father. Please give me thirty six hours and we'll be here. Let me do this my way?"

Dixon hesitated slightly, but then agreed. He was unable to say no to the girl who had been through such turmoil in the past twelve hours and he had held a large part in it. "Alright, until then Weiss and Vaughn, I want you to begin a very low key investigation into Andrei Slother. Find out if he and whomever he was working for, has anything to do with Sydney or her death. We still don't know for sure why Agent Summers was targeted."

Both Weiss and Vaughn nodded understanding the necessity for keeping the investigation quiet. They didn't want word getting out that Sydney Bristow had a daughter and ruining the safety that Will Tippin had worked so hard to create.

"Marshall, I want you to continue working on the surveillance video from Paris, keep trying to clean it up and see if we can get a clear image of the gunman." He shifted his attention to the end of the table where Jack and Zack were. "Zack, I'd like you to assist Jack in reviewing Sydney's old case files and comparing them to Agent Summers, keep looking for similarities. Go over them with a fine tooth comb, check contacts, sources, aliases, everything. I want to know exactly why Summers was singled out." He stood to signal the meeting's end. "And Rory, I'd like to see you in my office before you go."

They all nodded and began to leave the room. Zack leaned over close to Rory and whispered in her ear. "Meet me on the roof before you go."

Rory nodded quickly hoping no one had seen. "Inter office dating was frowned upon of course, particularly when the employees were partners, and both Zack and Rory wanted to keep their relationship a secret.

Rory held back a moment wondering if she should speak to Agent Vaughn or Jack, but both men left quickly so that question was answered. She followed Dixon to his office and closed the door as instructed. To her surprise he gestured for her to sit on the sofa and then sat in the armchair directly across.

"Agent Summers… Rory, I wanted to apologize to you."

Rory's eyes widened at the soft friendly tone of his voice, it was so unlike the authoritative voice he normally held.

"When you first joined this task force, you reminded me so much of Sydney, but I ignored it. I thought I was just seeing what I wanted to see."

Rory remained silent, hoping to gain some insight and knowledge of the mother she never knew.

"Even when Agent Vaughn and Marshall brought it up, how much you reminded them of her, I rationalized. We all missed Sydney, but it had been so long since her death. You were this bright young girl, with such drive and passion for your work that I thought that's all it was. You just reminded me of her. I went with my head and not my heart, and when I did find out the truth, I agreed with Jack, I thought it best that you didn't know until we determined that your current difficulties had nothing to do with your mother. For that, I apologize. That's all I needed to say to you, just to apologize. If there was some way that I could make it up to you-"

"It's alright, you don't have to apologize." Rory interrupted. "I know you were just doing what you thought was best and I understand that." She fingered the gold cross, which hung around her neck as she stood. "There is something that you could do," she paused, her hand on the door handle and looked back to him.

Dixon stood and nodded. "Whatever you need."

"When I get back, will you tell me about her?"

"Absaloutley."

"Thank you."

"Aurora?"

She turned back to Dixon, a smile on her face.

"It's an honor to have you as a member of this task force."

"It's a pleasure to be here." She gave him a small wave and closed the door behind her. Sitting down at her desk she immediately noticed a memo from Jack. Her plane would leave in forty minutes from the CIA's private airfield and the pilot would take her wherever she wanted to go.

Setting aside his note, she opened the Alice in Wonderland book and studied the photo of her and her mother. She was beautiful. She was the prettiest woman Rory had ever seen and looking at the picture, she could see the resemblance between them. The photo she had of her parents was so old and damaged that it was impossible to notice the slightest things about her mother, but with this one she could. Their hair was the same color though Sydney wore hers longer and curled. They had the same chin and nose, different eyes, hers ocean blue like her father's and Sydney's chocolate brown. Dimples in the same place and a similar smile. Two women, who were very different, but still very much the same.

Rory's computer beeped signaling an incoming message. She quickly checked her e-mail and found it to be from Agent Vaughn. She looked over the top of the monitor and saw Vaughn sitting at his desk in the next quad over. She opened the e-mail. There was only one sentence:

_This is one of my favorites_

_-Vaughn_

Scrolling down the e-mail she saw that it was another picture of her mother. Sydney was dressed in a Kings hockey jersey, wearing ice skates and holding a hockey stick. She was smiling broadly and looked truly happy.

Rory looked over the top of her monitor and her eyes quickly connected with Vaughns. He smiled slightly at her and she smiled back and mouthed 'thank you.' He nodded his response.

Zack!

She'd forgotten about him and his request to meet on the roof. Rory checked her watch, satisfied that she had at least fifteen minutes before she had to leave for the airfield and hurried to the stairwell.

"Hey," Zack greeted her. "I was getting worried about you."

"Sorry, I got a little sidetracked," she took his hand squeezing it gently. "I only have fifteen minutes."

"Okay," he nodded without even bothering to mask his concern. He smoothed her hair with his right hand and tucked the escapees behind her ear. "How are you?" he asked brushing his thumb over her temple.

"I'm… I'll be okay," she smiled slightly and stood up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek.

"I was worried."

"About me? Or about us?"

"Both," he admitted with a slight nod of his head. "We had just decided that there could be an 'us' and then everything happened, but you are more important than any 'us'," he stressed.

"You don't need to worry Zack. What happened last night doesn't change how I feel about you, or what I want. This entire situation is completely insane. My mother is an ex-CIA/ double agent spy who went missing for two years, had me in secret, and was then killed by her own mother. I was raised by my father who has been running from the witness protection program and has lied to me my whole life. I joined the CIA in secret and am now working in the very office she did with her old co-workers, under her ex-partner and ex-boss with her ex-boyfriend and her father." Rory let out a deep breath before continuing. "Like I said, this entire situation is completely insane, but the only thing about it that's keeping me sane… is you."

"You're… incredible, you know that?" Zack smiled and framed her face with his hands. He kissed her forehead and then wrapped her tightly in his arms.

Rory clung to him, standing up on her toes and leaning her upper body against his broad chest; she couldn't get enough, didn't want to get enough. His hands held her waist, pulling her body against his and she smiled as she realized the possessiveness of his grasp. If there had been a room full of people, each and every one of them would have known that she belonged to him and she agreed with it. It surprised her to feel like this. To suddenly feel so bound to him despite the little time they'd agreed to be more than friends. She felt as if every moment not spent in his presence was wasted. His confession to her, and hers to herself enabled a huge weight to be lifted off her shoulders. She felt free, and she felt loved.

Zack gently pulled away from Rory, "close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it," he laughed.

"Alright," she agreed and shut her eyes. She heard him step away for a moment, and then come back.

"Okay, open them."

Rory opened her eyes and laughed seeing her surprise. Zack held a chocolate frosted cupcake, garnished with a single, lit, birthday candle.

"We never got to your birthday cake," he explained taking several steps towards her. "Make a wish."

"Do I have to tell?"

"If you tell, it won't come true," he chided.

"Oh it'll come true if I have anything to say about," she said with a smirk and blew out the candle.

"Come sit." Zack took her hand and led her around a concrete pillar. They sat against the wall and he broke off a piece of the cupcake. "You know what's great about cake?" he asked turning to face her.

"What?"

"You can share." He held out a piece to her and she took it giving his finger a suck as she swallowed. "That was evil you do know that don't you."

"Of course," she took a piece of the cake and held it out to him. "Remember that night I got drunk, with the ice cream…"

"God, how do you even remember that, you were so drunk," Zack laughed and took a bite of the cake she offered. He gave her another piece of cake and this time she latched onto his index finger, first sucking the chocolate off it and then dragging it through her teeth slightly. Zack groaned softly as she did so, his eyes never leaving hers. "Why do you do that?"

"I don't know," she shrugged and smiled with a glint in her eye. "Maybe I think it's kind of sexy."

"That's entirely the point." Zack fed her the last piece of cake and then brushed the crumbs away with his thumb. She teased him yet again by drawing his thumb between her lips and sucking it of every last remnant of chocolate cake.

"You're incorrigible," he whispered, his voice low and husky as she released her hold on his thumb.

"I know."

"I have something else for you," Zack pulled out a small wrapped box from inside his suit jacket pocket and handed it to her. "I saw it a few weeks ago and I thought you might like it."

"I can't believe you got me a present a few weeks ago," Rory grinned and started to unwrap the box.

"I just saw it," he shrugged. "But… if you don't like it… just don't tell me alright."

"It's beautiful," Rory whispered lifting the necklace out of the box.

"You like it?"

"Zack, I love it. Will you fasten it for me?"

"It's from Spain," he explained slipping it around her neck. Rory held her hair back with one hand and fingered the silver pendant with the other as he fastened the clasp. "I saw it in one of those outside vendor stalls. "There was this old lady, I mean Rory she was ancient, she said her grandfather made it. She said the stone would bring good luck to whomever wore it and the compass is like one they used hundreds of years ago, and it would help guide the wearer whenever they were lost."

"It's beautiful, thank you," she smiled and let her hair drop back. She checked her watch. "I only have five minutes," she said softly.

"Promise you'll call?" he asked tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Promise," she agreed.

"What are you going to say to him?"

"I have no idea," she sighed leaning her head on his shoulder. "I've never lied to my dad like this before Zack-"

"He lied to you too."

"It's not the same; he was trying to protect me."

"You were trying to protect him, how is that different?"

"Because it's part of my job to keep it a secret from him. Zack, all my life, he's never asked anything of me. I've never had to live up to parental expectations like other people have."

"You feel like you're disappointing him by becoming an agent?"

Rory lifted her head off Zack's shoulder and nodded. "This agency ruined his life. His family thinks he's dead, he lost his job, he's living under an assumed name and he raised me based on a lie. I ran straight into everything that he was running away from."

"You didn't know, Ror it's not your fault."

"That doesn't change the outcome."

Zack kissed her cheek. "I'll be there if you want me, just call."

"Thank you."

"So what did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you, or it won't come true," she said slyly. "But I can show you."

"You can show me hunh," Zack whispered watching as Rory turned to face him and knelt between his legs.

"Un-huh," she nodded and trailed a finger down his jaw line before pulling him in for a long lingering kiss.

Zack slipped his hand on the back of her neck drawing her face closer to his. His tongue traced the outside of her lips until she deepened the kiss granting his tongue access to sweep inside her mouth.

Rory moaned softly as she gently dragged her fingernails down his cheeks and neck to his shoulders. She was glad she was sitting for this, because the way Zack was kissing her, she wasn't sure she would have been able to stand.

It seemed strange to her how easily they were able to cross the friendship line so easily. Then again, maybe there never had been a line. Maybe they had never been friends and were only waiting, suspended in their time together until someone was willing to give them a chance; until they were willing to give each other a chance. Was this love? Was the aching she felt her heart the result of the thought that thirty six hours away from him was just far too long. Was this ache love? She was so inexperienced in her knowledge of love, but she did know that she'd never felt like this before. She longed to have his arms around her waist again, to feel the touch of his hands on her hips and to hear his heart beat as she pressed her head against his chest.

Rory pulled away from him. Sighing regretfully she tucked her head in the crook of his neck and he stroked her hair, dragging his fingers through her silky strands.

"I have to go," she whispered, her words muffled into his throat.

"I know." Zack pushed her away and kissed her temple. "Go," he spoke softly. "I'll be here when you get back."

Rory nodded and stood. With one last glance at Zack she disappeared through the door and back into the corridors of the JTF.

Rory needed to see it for it to be real. She needed time to think before approaching her father and ruining his life, well the false life he had created out of necessity for her.

She sat on the concrete steps, so white she was sure they must be washed and bleached on a daily basis. She hadn't been aware of how tightly she'd fisted her hands until the tiny drops of blood escaped from between her knuckles and dotted the white step, drying instantly in the hot sun. She briefly wondered if the maintenance staff would need a scrub brush to remove the stain and she felt guilty but that thought soon faded as she examined her hand. The cut from the picture frame glass that Zack had so carefully wrapped in a white handkerchief had reopened partly and blood was slowly sliding down her palm. People went around her, up and down the large flight of shallow concrete steps. Perhaps they would have thought it odd to find someone sitting there if it hadn't been the lunch hour. Security guards were stationed up near the main entrance, but if they found her presence to be suspicious they made no movement to demonstrate so. Her arms dropped to her sides and she stood bracing her hands on the step as she stood; bad idea. The contact of the hard material on her open wound stung and resulted in her leaving a bloody handprint on the pristine step.

She walked down the steps and over to a large fountain that was surrounded by stone benches. Finding some Kleenex in her purse she wet them and gently cleaned her hand until the blood was washed away. She approached the memorial slowly, the single white daisy dangled from her fingertips as if simply floating beside her. It didn't take her long to find the name etched in bronze. Rory wasn't even sure that it would be here, but she thought she remembered the date and so she took a chance; and she was right. She placed the flower on the top of the memorial and took a step back staring in amazement at the amount of names listed all lost while serving their country. The date listed beside her mother's name was only a few days earlier than the date her father had given her and Rory had to wonder which one was true.

She remembered the first time she had been here, late fall and it was cold with a freezing wind cutting through everything in its path. That was eighteen months ago and she'd never thought about it since; until last night. She'd seen the name and the date listed on the memorial. Sydney A. Bristow. The name had been just one amongst the hundreds that decorated the marble structure and had quickly been forgotten the first time. It wasn't the name that had pulled her attention, but the date; two days before her own mother's death when she was a baby. Of course now Rory knew that they were one in the same. Sydney Bristow was Katherine Summers, Katherine Summers was Sydney Bristow. She traced the bronze etched lettering and blinked away a tear. This was what it was like to finally have a place to mourn for her mother, for the woman she'd never had the chance to know. She'd never had a place before. Katherine Summers had been cremated and her ashes spread at sea. She'd had no family other than her husband and infant daughter and they lacked the money for a memorial, so there had been none. It occurred to her that there might now be a memorial in a cemetery in LA, she hadn't thought to ask her grandfather if one existed.

Rory backed away from the CIA's memorial to its fallen agents. She wasn't entirely sure what she'd expected to find by coming to Virginia, to the CIA's headquarters at Langley. Was she seeking answers, closure, or only more concrete proof of who her mother really was? She took a seat on one of the stone benches, her mothers name no longer visible as it blurred with the others on the long marble plaque. She drew her legs up on the bench and hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them as she stared at the white petal daisy.

A single white flower was just a simple gesture of remembrance to her mother, but to Rory it felt like so much more. It was the only connection she had.

"Hello."

Rory turned to see a stranger standing off to the side. He an elder man and was dressed in a dark suit, his hands tucked in the pockets of his black overcoat. Her feet dropped to the ground and she shifted slightly to face him.

"Did you know that the white daisy is the symbol of innocence and truth?"

"I'm sorry," she said beginning to be uncomfortable with his presence. She glanced quickly at the security guards a hundred feet away. "Do I know you?"

"Do you know me? No," he shook his head. "Do I know you? Well that's a much more difficult question."

"Who are you?"

The man easily detected the fear in her voice as it trembled. "I'm no one important," he said quietly and took a seat on the stone bench parallel to hers.

"You know me?"

He rubbed his chin roughly and smiled at her. "Not exactly. I know you're Sydney's daughter." He tried to smile reassuringly at her but the look of surprise and panic displayed across her face could not be hidden. "I always wondered what you'd turn out to look like."

"Who are you?" Rory repeated her voice barely above a whisper, unsure of what she should do. No one was supposed to know who she really was.


	12. Part Twelve: Truth

_Previously:_

"_Hello."_

_Rory turned to see a stranger standing off to the side. He was an elderly man dressed in a dark suit, his hands tucked in the pockets of his black overcoat. Her feet dropped to the ground and she shifted slightly to face him. _

"_Did you know that the white daisy is the symbol of innocence and truth?"_

"_I'm sorry," she said beginning to be uncomfortable with his presence. She glanced quickly at the security guards a hundred feet away. "Do I know you?"_

"_Do you know me? No," he shook his head. "Do I know you? Well that's a much more difficult question."_

"_Who are you?"_

_The man easily detected the fear in her voice as it trembled. "I'm no one important," he said quietly and took a seat on the stone bench parallel to hers. _

"_You know me?"_

_He rubbed his chin roughly and smiled at her. "Not exactly. I know you're Sydney's daughter." He tried to smile reassuringly at her but the look of surprise and panic displayed across her face could not be hidden. "I always wondered what you'd turn out to be like."_

"_Who are you?" Rory repeated, her voice barely above a whisper, unsure of what she should do. No one was supposed to know who she really was._

**Illusion of Sin**

**Part 11: The Truth**

The man smiled gently as he leaned forwards, his hands resting on his knees. "I'm no one important," he repeated.

Rory was not convinced. Her eyes darted to the security guard ensuring that he was still nearby. The man followed her gaze and spoke again.

"I'm not a threat to you Agent Summers. My name is John Kendall; I used to work with your mother."

"You knew my mother?" Rory asked stunned, a thousand questions coming instantly to her mind. "You were friends?"

Kendall chuckled softly, "no not friends. Friends is a bit too strong of a description. I was her superior, her handler for a time."

Rory turned on the bench to face him fully as she recalled his name from Jack's files. "You were her handler when she went missing for two years."

"Correct," he smiled warmly.

"Why was she killed?"

Kendall hesitated before speaking, not wanting to give her false hope. "I don't know. Her death was a surprise; I suppose I always thought that she was invincible. Your mother was a good agent and I never would have thought that she was pregnant when she left LA. She tracked me down in Maryland two months later and it was a fluke that I even found out."

"She didn't want anyone to know about me," Rory mumbled.

Kendall nodded sympathetically. "She had her reasons, what they were I don't know. I know that she was running from something or someone; she wouldn't say; only that it was not work related. She needed a place to stay, to…recuperate so to speak, it was on the third day that I called her on it and she admitted that she was pregnant. I assumed that you were Agent Vaughn's but she denied it and I wonder if that was why she was keeping you a secret.

"After her death, I made a few discrete inquiries with trusted contacts, but no information about her child was ever found." Kendall reached out and tilted her chin upwards slightly. "Over the years, I often wondered if you would turn out to look like your mother, I'm happy to see I was right."

Rory smiled, her cheeks blushing slightly at his comment. "So you never knew about me either?"

"Not until about forty five minutes ago when I got a call from Director Dixon," Kendall explained. "He informed me of who you were and that you had requested to come to Virginia before going to see your father. It was easy to figure out that you would be coming here.

"As I said before, I knew you most likely existed, but I never had any real proof. As soon as I saw you today, it was like stepping back in time." He smiled genuinely at her. "I have it on the highest of authority that you are exactly like your mother in the field. If I were one of the enemies, I'd be extremely worried."

Rory blushed even more and sat silently for several moments as she took everything in. Her right hand reached up to fiddle with the necklace Zack had given her. "My flight doesn't leave for another hour, do you have time for coffee?" she asked hopefully, eager for the chance to find out more about her mother.

"Of course."

Kendall stood grimacing as his joints cracked and Rory smiled as he made a comment about his old bones. She was surprised as he pulled out a yellow rose from the inside pocket of his suit and gently laid it on the memorial next to the daisy.

"Thank you," she said softly, blinking back tears as she ran her fingertips over the engraved letters of her mother's name one last time.

_I took my love and I took it down__  
Climbed a mountain then I turned around__  
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills__  
Well the landslide brought me down_

Jonah Summers slipped off his sunglasses as he stepped from the sidewalk to the green grass of the park's field. His daughter was exactly where he thought she'd be. After arriving home from work he'd found a note on his kitchen table instructing him to meet her at the park. He held back a moment just watching his daughter. She wore a white sundress with red flowers that fluttered around her legs as carefree as the gentle wind. Her bare feet dangled, tracing abstract designs in the sand as she sat on the sole swing, swaying in the late summer breeze. He approached her and sat on the adjacent swing but Aurora didn't acknowledge his presence.

"Hey, Ladybug," Jonah prodded after a few moments. "Penny for your thoughts."

Rory seemed startled as she looked up at him realizing for the first time that he was there. "Hi Dad," a slight smile traced her lips.

"I was surprised to find your note. I thought you were knee deep in editorials?"

"I was, but I got a break."

"Everything okay?" Jonah asked noticing how quiet she was.

_Oh, mirror in the sky__  
What is love?__  
Can the child within my heart rise above__  
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?__  
Can I handle the seasons of my life_

Rory took her time before answering. "I was just thinking… remember when I was six and I wanted to fly just like Mary Poppins?"

"Lord, how could I forget," her father grinned at the memory. "We were renting that little yellow house in Kansas. You climbed out the attic window and onto the roof, umbrella, and all. I was afraid you'd break your neck."

"I was so angry at you for making me come down." Rory remembered as she watched a little girl of about four or five slide down the orange plastic slide under the semi-watchful eye of her teenaged babysitter. "But then you told me this wonderful story about how Mary Poppins was magic and she could only be so if children never questioned and just believed." She swallowed hard trying desperately to clear the lump in her throat. "You always told me such wonderful stories.

"When I was older I knew that you should be out writing books instead of building apartment buildings and stupid town house complexes." She didn't dare glance at her father knowing she wouldn't be able to go through with her confession if she did. "They were such great stories that lately I've been forced to question what is fact and what is fiction; when did the truths stop and the lies begin?"

"Ror-"

"I'm not who you think I am."

"I don't understand."

"Dad, I don't work for a publishing company." Rory choked on her words as she spoke and tears streamed down her face. "I work for the government, and now I know who I really am, who you really are, Will Tippin."

Jonah stood abruptly and grabbed the metal chains that suspended her swing causing her to turn and face him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Daddy, I work for the CIA."

Jonah stepped back, pure disbelief and horror was weaved into every line on his face. "No," he said firmly as if trying to convince himself that it wasn't happening.

"I'm an operations officer for the CIA."

"No." He let go of the chains causing the swing to jerk awkwardly and she stood as well.

"Yes," she whispered softly.

"No," he said desperately still trying to convince himself that the situation wasn't real, that his daughter wasn't involved in that life, but one look in her eyes, the tears staining her cheeks, and he knew it was the truth. "You're CIA?" he asked softly, and her silence was his answer. Jonah, or rather Will as he immediately felt himself to be, grabbed her hand pulling her a few steps towards the car, but she stood her ground. "I have contacts," he said frantically urging her towards the car. "We can disappear forever, new names, new identities, they will never be able to find us."

"No," she shook her head firmly. Her father's eyes seemed wild with fear as he turned to face her.

"You don't understand Aurora; these people will ruin your life."

"I can't," she protested. "My mother-"

"Your mother died because of them!"

Rory opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't manage the ability to form words. Her father had just confessed to her that her mother had not died in a car accident. She'd already known the truth of course from reading Jack's files, but hearing the confirmation from her father, the one person she never would have imagined to being the keeper of so many secrets.

_Well I've been afraid of changin'_  
'_Cause I've built my life around you__  
But time makes you bolder__  
Children get older__  
And I'm getting older too_

"Rory please," he begged her. "Please do what I'm asking." He gripped her hands so tightly it was impossible not to keep them from shaking and his daughter could see this. "I've spent too long protecting you from them to throw it all away." He pulled her hand again but she jerked it away.

"I know what you did," she said softly. "You gave up everything for me, to protect me from whatever threats could exist from your past or my mother's. I felt so guilty for lying to you, for keeping my own secrets. I'd never lied to you until I joined The Agency and it seems that's all I've done since. I can't fault you for keeping secrets, when I've done just the same-"

"It doesn't matter," Will took her hand once again. "None of it matters, just please come with me, I can't let them find you."

"It's too late."

Her voice trembled as she spoke and any ounce of hope that Will had left evaporated in a single instant. "What do you mean?"

"It's too late. The CIA already knows who I am; Dixon, Vaughn, Weiss, Jack Bristow; all of them." She took a deep breath. "I have orders to bring you back."

Will's jaw dropped and for the first time since his daughter's confession, he noticed the tears of anguish that traced the features of her face. She felt as if she was betraying him.

"Dad, please come. Please don't make this any harder for both of us," she pleaded and wiped her eyes. She took his other hand wanting so desperately for him to just wrap her in his arms and hold her as he did when she was a child. "You're my father, the most important person in my life. I'd do anything for you, but I can't walk away from this. There are things that I need to do and I need you there. I know the truth now, there's no reason to keep running, to keep hiding anymore."

Will couldn't speak as he listened to his daughter. He wanted too; he wanted to convince her that she was better off without them, but nothing he thought to say seemed right. He'd spent over twenty years on the run with her, always looking over his shoulder, never staying in one place too long for fear someone would find them. He was never really sure if anyone was looking for them, but he could never take the chance, not with his daughter's life. "We can be safe-"

"I can't leave you." Rory adjusted her grip on his hands. "You might be in danger now; someone could try to use you to get to me. I need to know that you're safe and I can't leave without you." She looked up at her father and saw the tears in his eyes. "Dad, it's time to see your family again. Please, it's time to come home."

Will framed her face with his hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "I thought I was prepared for everything, but I never saw this coming. Twenty years, twenty years I've been running with you and you never knew it. I never gave you the chance to know the truth. I was so concerned that you wouldn't understand why I had to do it and you might do something to give us away. I didn't trust you, and that I will always regret."

"It's okay," she shrugged meaning every word. "I understand why you did it. We both kept secrets, but we don't have to any longer."

_So, take this love, take it down  
If you climb a mountain and turn around__  
And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills__  
Well the landslide brought it down_

Will sank down on the nearby bench and Rory joined him moments later. He took her hand clasping it between his. "I always knew the day would come when I would tell you the truth. I knew that you deserved to know who you really were and the legacy you came from, but I never imagined that it would happen like this." He averted his deep blue eyes and blinked away the tears that glistened there. There was more he wanted to say but couldn't find the words. "You said you were a field agent?"

Rory nodded quickly. "I started out as an analyst and when I transferred to LA, I became a field agent."

"Have you ever been shot?" he held his breath, not entirely wanting to know the answer, but needing to know it.

Rory nodded and slowly lifted the hem of her dress exposing the semi healed pink scar on her thigh. "It wasn't serious," she said softly trying to put his mind at ease.

Will scoffed, "it could have been a lot worse. What happened?"

"I can't… I don't know what I can tell you," she said softly.

"I'm your father, Aurora, you can tell me anything."

Rory nodded realizing that her father wouldn't let it go until he knew the events leading up to her injury. "It was a set up, about four weeks ago. We realized that there was a mole in the agency and then that it was my partner. We staged an operation to expose him, fed him false information and everything should have gone as planned, but it didn't. There were complications, one of his accomplices showed up and I was shot, but Agent Bristow, Jack-my grandfather, he saved my life. He nearly died because of it-"

"Jack's still involved in the CIA?" Will asked, surprised on one hand but not surprised at all on the other.

Rory nodded. "On consultation mostly; they brought him in because of me. At the time, he didn't know who I really was, but that was the night that he found out. He never told me anything. I found out yesterday, when I saw a picture."

Will let out a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to vanquish the horrible image his mind had created of his daughter being shot. "You've been so distant lately. You sounded so different on the phone and I thought that maybe you'd met some one," an amusing smile came to his face as he glanced at her. "This certainly is a far cry from boy trouble."

She smiled with a bit of a laugh. "Actually, I did meet someone," she spoke softly, smiling shyly as her cheeks turning a crimson red. She fingered the necklace glancing down at it. "He's a really good guy."

"Are things serious?" he asked hesitantly, not entirely sure he wanted to delve into that particular subject right now, but the growing shade of red on his daughter's face told him everything he needed to know.

"They're… getting there," she admitted. "He… we work together, he was my handler actually, now we're partners so we're kind of keeping things under the radar if you know what I mean-"

"Were you a double?" Will interrupted her after hearing mention of her handler.

"No," she shook her head and quickly explained. "Handlers aren't really used for that type of thing any more."

"Thank God," he let out a sigh of relief. "If I thought you being an agent was bad enough, being a double is far worse."

She smiled slightly. "He's the reason I found out actually. I saw a picture of you and Mom and everything just fit together."

"This guy had a picture of your Mom and me?" Will asked immediately concerned.

"Yeah," she nodded. "You'll really like him, actually you already know him," she added sheepishly. "His name is Zackary Weiss."

"Eric's son?" Will was surprised. "He couldn't have been more than two or three the last time I saw him. Forget the CIA; they should just call it the family business." Will leaned forwards his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. "God Rory, how did they find you? I thought we were hidden so well."

"They didn't," she shrugged. "Agent Bristow, Jack-grandfather, I don't know what to call him anymore," she rolled her eyes. "He checked into my recruitment as soon as he found out about me. It was all coincidence, my recruitment, even my placement at the task force; no one knew who I was. Now everyone knows," she said. "Well everyone that works on my floor anyway, but gossip does travel fast. I kind of lost it when I found out. I broke into Jack's private files and I found out the truth." She turned on the bench slightly and squeezed his hand. "I want to hear it from you," she whispered, finding the words difficult to say. "I want to hear how my mother died."

"Rory, I've always told you the truth about your mother," Will replied. "She died in a car accident when you were a baby. Her name was Sydney Bristow yes, and not Kathryn Johnson Summers but that is the only thing I ever lied to you about other than her profession."

Rory's eyes narrowed, knowing full well the categories were quite broad and the lies delved further than he admitted. "She didn't die in a car accident, Dad."

"Yes Rory she did I-"

"No," she shook her head feeling the tears prick her eyes. "She didn't die in a car accident. Irina Derevko, her own mother, had her killed. I saw the tapes, Dad, I saw her die."

"Oh sweetheart," Will tucked her head against his chest and stroked her hair. He didn't know what else to say to her. There were no words that he could think of to consol his daughter after witnessing her mother's murder, even though she'd been dead for twenty years.

"Promise you didn't know," Rory asked through muffled sobs.

"I swear to you, Ladybug," Will kissed her temple. "When I found out she was gone, she wasn't with us and I was told that it was a car accident." He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He only wished that there were something he could do to take away her pain. As a child, an orange lollypop, a band-aid, a wipe of her tears or a bear hug would always be the solution to whatever ache she had; but nothing he could do could help her now.

There were no magic words that would return the sparkle to her eye, and no amount of band-aids could heal her broken heart. But there was one thing he could do to alleviate his own concerns over her well-being. "Ror?" he asked pulling away from her a bit.

Rory sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "Yeah?"

"When does the plane leave?"

_I took my love and I took it down__  
Climbed a mountain then I turned around__  
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills__  
Well the landslide brought me down_

_Oh, mirror in the sky__  
What is love?__  
Can the child within my heart rise above__  
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?__  
Can I handle the seasons of my life…_

_Well I've been afraid of changin' _  
'_Cause I've built my life around you__  
But time makes you bolder __  
Children get older__  
And I'm getting older too. _

_If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills__  
Well the landslide brought me down…_

The Kings were loosing 8 to 1 and so it was no great loss for Zack to turn off the television when he heard a knock at his front door. He set his beer on the coffee table, stood, and shuffled down the hallway to the front door.

It had been a long day, full of analyzing, planning, and research. Dixon had assigned a team to work on Rory's case; to determine who was after her, what they wanted and if it had anything to do with her mother. The team consisted of Dixon, Jack, Weiss, Vaughn, Marshall, Zack, Carrie, Mitchell and once she returned, Rory. Jack, recognizing the talent Will had as an analyst years before and knowing that he would demand to be included in the investigation had also requested his participation providing Will did return to LA with his daughter.

The current CIA Director had already been notified of the recent developments regarding Rory, whoever was after her and her connection to Sydney Bristow and had made it clear that if Will Tippin did not return to LA with his daughter, he was to be taken into custody and charged with evading federal authorities. Surprisingly though there wasn't any talk of what would happen if Rory did not return. Dixon had trusted her to come back, so they hadn't sent anyone with her, though she was monitored by a surveillance team, there was no assurance either way.

Zack checked the peephole before opening the door and was surprised to find Rory standing on his front step.

"Hey, you're back," he said opening the front door.

"Yeah, the flight got in a little early," she said softly fiddling with one of the spaghetti straps of her white flowered sundress.

"What about your Dad?"

"I dropped him off at the safe house, I told him I had to go to work." She sighed and shook her head. "Even now I'm still lying to him. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course sorry," he held the door open for her and as she passed by him he got the feeling that something was wrong, other than the obvious.

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah."

"Are you expecting anyone?" she asked setting her purse down on the hallway bench.

Zack closed the door behind her. "No why?" he asked turning around.

Zack never got the chance to hear her answer. The moment he turned around, Rory was on him. Her lips sought his aggressively and he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her body tightly to his. He could sense a need in her, something he hadn't felt before. His mouth slanted over hers as she attacked his mouth, their teeth clashing together. Her hands, undecided, traveled back and forth from his shoulders to his face, never able to settle in one place. Her desire to cup his face tenderly was strong, but so was the urge to pull his body as close to hers as possible. Zack cupped the back of her neck with one hand and wound the other around her back as they stumbled slightly to the wall. He leaned her back against it and brought his hands up on either side of her head to brace his weight.

Zack pulled away to allow them both time to breath and settled for kissing her neck and nipping at her shoulder. Rory moaned deeply tilting her neck to one side to allow him greater access. She ran her hands up his chest, feeling the taut muscles underneath and then pulled on the buttons of his shirt with steady fingers.

Zack was vaguely aware of her fingers undoing the buttons of his shirt, he was concentrating on finding the particular spot on her neck that he knew for sure would drive her insane. And the knowledge that she'd kicked off one of her shoes and was currently trailing her bare toes up his left leg was distracting. He caught her leg with his left hand and holding her thigh, he lifted it onto his hip.

Rory let out a noise, halfway between a moan and a sigh and Zack knew immediately that he'd found the particular spot. It was then that he noticed Rory was unbuckling his belt.

"Rory stop," he said regretfully and pulled away from her. He looked her in the eyes, seeing the hazy mixture of desire and excitement in them. "What about what you said the other day?" he asked through heavy breaths, not wanting to go further than she wanted.

"Forget it," she shook her head. "I know what I want, what I need, and it's you." Her voice was soft and husky as she spoke her fingers scraping lightly back and forth over his shoulders. She leaned up and whispered in his ear, her voice trembling with anticipation. "I want to make love to you."

"Are you sure?"

Rory didn't answer him with words. Her response was pulling his belt free from the pant loops and dropping it on the floor beside his feet.

Zack kissed her deeply, feeling her teeth nipping at his lower lip playfully and hiked her dress up to her thighs so he could lift her easily. Rory wrapped her strong legs around his waist and squeezed them tightly feeling the evidence of his desire pressing into her. Her hands clasped tightly around his neck and she arched her back, moaning as Zack traced the length of her collarbone with his tongue.

Holding tightly to Rory, he groaned as she squeezed her legs around him and rubbed her hips against his as his lips met hers once more. It took some time as they stopped various times; unable to keep their hands off each other but eventually Zack carried her to his bedroom and set her down on the edge of the bed. Dropping to his knees, he took her hands within his own and gently kissed her palms. Looking into her eyes, he knew this would be a night neither of them would ever forget.


	13. Part Twelve cont: First Time

Illusion of Sin has been updated!

The update is not going to be listed on Fanfiction because it is an optional chapter. You do not have to read it to follow the story. It is an NC-17/R Rated Chapter. The chapter can be found at either AllAlias(dot)com or SD-1(dot)net in the Rated R Section OR you can e-mail me (click on my name above) and I will send it to you.

SD-1(dot)net is password protected but it is very easy to get the password.

I did not want to post the chapter here in full view for everyone because some people might not want to read it. You can give feedback (and please do) either by e-mailing me, posting here or by posting on the other forums if you are a member.

If you need help finding it e-mail me.

That said I hope those who read it enjoy and please remember to give feedback.

Erin


	14. Part Thirteen:

**A/N First off an apology for the fact that this chapter took so long, for those of you who read the previous chapter that was Rated R it's been long, but for those who decided to skip that optional chapter, it's been twice as long and I thank you all for your patience and continued interest in my fic and that you've stuck by it and me for so long! I've had a busy summer, with working 2 jobs, volunteering in a grade 1 class and doing a summer course, life was hectic. My grandmother also passed away last month and that of course was a sad time for my family BUT….. The good news is that Illusion of Sin has a brand new chapter! And also since I know that many of my IOS readers are also readers of My Fic Redemption, I've decided to include at the end of this chapter a tiny little glimpse into Redemption's sequel, Absolution which will be debuting next month. So as always please review, good and bad reviews are welcome and Thank You to my beta BEV! She's awesome! Without further adieu……..**

**Illusion of Sin  
Chapter 13**

Zack moved to lie beside Rory on the bed. His hand reached over and slowly stroked her left arm, gently trailing the tips of his fingers up and down in a repetitive fashion.

"You okay?" he asked leaning slightly to kiss her cheek, still glistening with the sweat of their lovemaking.

"I… wow," she whispered. She felt Zack take her other hand and weave their fingers together and lifted them to his lips, kissing her palm.

"You're incredible."

"No," she protested. "You… that was amazing." She looked up at him briefly, shyly, and then snuggled into his embrace resting her head on his chest.

"Are you all right? Are you in any pain?"

Rory was touched at his kindness, not surprised, but touched, knowing that not all men were like him. Not all men would have cared so much about her comfort. "No," she shook her head. "It did, but not any more."

Zack nodded, knowing Rory wasn't telling him the truth. She had to be feeling at least a bit sore. They lay there for a while, limbs and bodies intertwined, basking in the afterglow of love. Zack stroked her hair loving the way the silky strands threaded through his fingers and Rory was simply content to listen to his heartbeat rhythmically in her ear.

Zack was hesitant to disturb the moment, but he knew he had to do it. "We need to talk."

Rory's eyes widened and she stared up at the ceiling as she spoke, toying with Zack's fingers. "About what?" she asked sensing the apprehension in his voice.

"About what happened here tonight?"

"Zack, I…"

"Just hear me out," he interrupted her, sitting up slightly so he could look her in the eyes. "Don't get me wrong, tonight was amazing, unexpected, but amazing." He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You were…are…incredible and I loved sharing this with you. I don't want things to move faster than you are comfortable with though. A few days ago, you were telling me that you weren't ready for sex and that was fine with me, but then your life turns upside down and the next thing I know you're at my door practically attacking me."

Zack quickly continued seeing the tears spring to her eyes as his thumb wiped away their trace. "Listen to me. I didn't do anything that I didn't want to do. I loved… love being with you and I don't have any regrets. What I don't want is for you to have any regrets. Ror, what happened? What changed between yesterday and today?"

Rory wiped her cheeks furiously. "I don't know." She sniffled slightly and felt Zack hold her tighter in his arms. "When I saw my dad and I found out the truth, I just felt so numb and out of control. All I could see was his face, the disappointment and the fear in his eyes. It was destroying him."

Her breath hitched in her throat as she struggled to breathe normally, wanting so desperately not to break down in front of him. "Maybe I came here with the intent of using you… to feel something, anything, or just to feel in control, but when we started it wasn't that any more. I wanted it… I wanted you, I wanted to love you." Her voice trembled, "I don't regret what I did."

Zack didn't speak for several moments. He concentrated solely on kissing away the tears from her cheeks, his fingers tenderly brushing the hair away from her face. "I just need to be sure," he said softly. "I need to know that I didn't pressure you. I just need to know why."

"Never," she placed a chaste kiss on his lips before burying her head in the crook of his neck. . "You're kind and gentle and amazing and I want to be with you… always." She murmured the last word barely audible to his ears.

His hands traveled over her bare back sending shivers along her spine. She snuggled into the cradle of his arms feeling nothing but love for this man and drifted off to sleep.

Zack watched her sleep for a long time, his hand in continuous motion over her back. He was content to do this. Their relationship had progressed faster than he had anticipated and he needed the time just to watch her, to think and reflect about how this beautiful woman ended up in his arms. What he had done right to deserve her, he wasn't sure of. He was positive of one thing however; he was never going to let her go.

xxxxxx

"Good morning beautiful," Zack said softly. He stroked Rory's hair lightly as he felt her stir beside him. He'd barely slept all night and had woken not long before to find her back against his chest and his arms wrapped securely around her middle. He hated waking her but knew he couldn't let her sleep any longer.

"Zack?" Rory sat up feeling slightly disoriented as she looked around the unfamiliar room. In an instant, she remembered everything and as she turned to face him, her lips broke into a large smile. "Good morning." She closed her eyes and snuggled her face against his shoulder, but not before placing a quick kiss on his bicep.

Zack propped an elbow up and rested the side of his head in his hands. His fingers brushed up and down the curved length of her side enjoying the goose bumps his touch created. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Rory cracked one eye open. "Good," she smiled contently. "Tired; it's early," her eyes took note of the time and she sat up a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Zack's eyes widened as the sheet slipped off her body exposing her tender flesh for his view. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Did you wake me early for a reason?" she asked playfully.

He smiled, his hand settling on her slender hip and giving it a squeeze. "Not the reason you're thinking of." The expression on her face fell and quickly he spoke again. "Not that I don't want to, I do very much," he smiled knowingly as the red blush he'd become accustomed to spread over her face. "But, you're not ready. You're still sore and you need a little more time. And you should probably go see your father and talk to him before you take him in."

Rory smiled sadly and slid down his body, one arm stretched across his chest while her head nestled itself in the crook of his neck. "I don't want to leave you," she mumbled still feeling drained from their lovemaking the night before.

"I don't want you to either." He nudged her until she lifted her head up to look at him. Once she did, he kissed her until neither had any breath left in them. Only then did they part. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she kissed his cheek once more and let out a heavy sigh.

"Why don't you take a shower, and I'll make us some breakfast," he suggested.

"Or you could join me," she mumbled.

"Not that I wouldn't want to, but I think we both know where that will lead." Using both hands, he pushed her up into a sitting position. "Go on, you'll get fresh coffee and pancakes when you're done."

"Is that a bribe?"

"Is it working?"

"Maybe."

"Then it's a bribe."

Zack gave her a little nudge nearly sending her sprawling onto the floor and lie back on the bed, folding his arms under his head. He whistled appreciatively watching Rory's nude form walk out of his bedroom and laughed when she wiggled her ass in response. She was quickly becoming less self-conscious and shy around him.

Twenty minutes later, Zack was just lifting the last pancake out of the frying pan when he felt two arms snake around his abdomen and a head pressed into his back. "Awake?"

"I'd much rather be back in bed with you," came a mumbled response.

He smiled, but was startled by her gasp only seconds later. "What's wrong?" he asked, turning around to face her.

"Your back," she whispered turning him around and gently running the tip of her index finger over one of the red scrapes. "I hurt you; did I do all this?" she whispered studying his shoulder intently.

"Well you have nails," he joked turning back around, trying to make light of the situation, but it didn't work as his eyes met a pair of very worried vibrant blue ones. "It's okay," he said trying his best to reassure her. "I can't even feel them. Hey, I see you found my closet."

"Do you mind?" she asked tugging on the hem of the grey LA Kings hockey shirt she was wearing, which ended mid-thigh."

"Not at all," he grinned taking a sip of coffee. "In fact, I think you should wear my clothes all the time. Particularly at work, at least then I'll have a logical excuse for staring at you all day and not getting any work done." He handed her a mug of coffee, "just how you like it."

Two hands gripped the mug as she inhaled the aroma before taking a sip. "Thank you." Rory eyed the stack of pancakes on the table. "Those look delicious."

"Help yourself." Zack leaned back against the counter and folded his arms across his bare chest. He watched with amusement as Rory doused a pancake with maple syrup and then came over to stand beside him. She handed him the plate and then hopped up on the counter, sitting cross-legged as she cut the pancake into pieces.

"Here." Rory held out her fork to him and he accepted the piece of pancake. "You missed some," she chided him and wiped a dollop of syrup off his chin with her thumb.

Zack caught her wrist and pulled her hand toward his lips. "My turn," he smiled slyly and drew her thumb between his lips to suck the syrup off. "Mmmmhm," he leaned up and kissed her lips quickly. "That is kinda sexy."

"Told you so."

xxxxxx

Will squinted in the bright sun as he stepped out of his daughter's car. The CIA building stood intimidating before him. The sheer massive structure had not changed over the years. The non-descript entrance sign stood off to the side announcing it was the LA Federal Building. Actually, it was the Los Angeles Field office for the CIA. He hadn't stepped inside it in 23 years.

"Dad?" Rory touched his elbow startling him slightly. "You alright?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Just a little nervous I guess." He looked down at his pants and smoothed a crease in his jeans, before straightening his suede coat. "I never did follow the dress code when I worked here," he cracked a smile. "I should be wearing a suit, but Jonah Summers is a construction worker. He doesn't own a suit."

Will stepped back and studied his daughter. She was wearing a black suit and light blue blouse that matched her eyes, with black high-heeled shoes and dark sunglasses. Her long hair, with a lightened auburn tint from the sun, hung loose down her back, giving her the young look of her 21 years. "You look so grown up," he mused drawing a piece of wind blown hair away from her face.

"It'll be okay Dad," she smiled at him and took off her sunglasses squinting slightly in the sun. "I'll be with you. They just need to talk to you about Mom, about what you know after she left LA, to see if any of it applies to some events occurring now."

"It's not the questioning I'm worried about."

"Oh, it's Jack… my grandfather isn't it?"

Will confirmed her suspicion with a slight nod of his head. "He, most of all. I kept his granddaughter away from him for twenty years," he added with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You were only doing what she wanted; he can't fault you for that."

"That doesn't mean he'll agree with what I did…"

"I know I asked you to come back with me, but Dad, if this really isn't what you want…"

"Stop," Will interrupted her, holding his finger to her lips. "It's time for this to end. You are my daughter and wherever you are is where I want to be." He framed her face with his hands and kissed the crown of her forehead. "Jonah was an illusion. He was just a made up guy that I needed to be. My name is William D. Tippin, and you are Aurora Francine Bristow."

"Tippin," she added. "Aurora Bristow-Tippin."

Will slung his arm around Rory's shoulders as they walked up the steps to the main entrance. "You really are your mother's daughter," he said softly. He glanced sideways at her. "What I'm really looking forward to is seeing Zack again." A mischievous smile played across his lips.

"Dad, you can't," Rory stopped short instantly alarmed.

"What," he asked innocently, pressing the button for the elevator? "I just want to know what his intentions are toward my daughter." Will turned to look at her surprised at the almost look of fear displayed across her face. "Ror, I'm kidding; your secret is safe with me, just as long as you're careful."

For a moment, Rory just stared at him with only one thought running through her mind. He knew. Somehow, her father knew that she'd been with Zack the night before. Of course, the thought was ludicrous as she soon realized. There was no possible way that her father knew just what she'd been up to the night before, or rather with whom.

Rory cast a sideways glance at her father as they rode the elevator to the ninth floor. She took his hand squeezing it gently, though not quite sure who she was trying to reassure more her father or herself.

The elevator doors opened in an agonizingly slow process. Just as Rory expected, Dixon waited.

The usually stern Director allowed a smile to grace his face and he extended his hand to Will. "It's good to see you, Will."

Will shook his hand, quite surprised at the warm reception he received. A quick glance to his left where he saw a much older Jack Bristow waiting, told him that not all receptions would be this way.

"Agent Summers, I need to speak with your father regarding matters which supersede your clearance level. I have scheduled a briefing for later this afternoon."

"Yes sir," she nodded quickly and gave her father's hand one last squeeze before releasing it and watching him follow Dixon into the conference room. As the door closed, she got a quick glimpse of those who were already in the room and it included, Agent Weiss and Agent Vaughn.

"Hey Beautiful," came a very soft whisper from behind her ear and she turned around.

Zack was standing close to her, a little too close for being at work, but neither wanted to step away.

"Hi. I missed you," she adds softly.

"Missed you too." Zack suppressed the urge to take her hand and squeeze it. Of course, what he really wanted to do was out of the question and that included even a simple kiss. He turned and walked toward their desks. He sat in his chair and Rory lifted herself onto the edge of his desk crossing her legs in front of him.

Zack eyed her endlessly long legs quickly. He'd never been much of legman, at least not until he met her. His eyes met hers and he realized she knew exactly what she was doing. A small little smirk escaped her lips as she swung her legs, re-crossing them and brushing one ankle against his knees as she did so.

"You are so cruel," he said softly.

"I know." She said it without smiling, though it took everything in her not to.

Zack reached for a file next to her leg. He deliberately dragged his index finger along her thigh in an agonizingly slow movement.

Rory closed her eyes for a moment and looked away. "That was mean," she stated, finally looking back at him.

Zack grinned. "Payback's a bitch, ain't it?"

Rory rolled her eyes and slid off his desk. She went around the other side to hers and dragged her chair and a stack of files over to his desk. "What are we working on?" she asked.

"Nothing," he shrugged.

"What do you mean nothing?"

"Exactly that. They didn't give me anything new since you left yesterday. My dad and Vaughn have been in meetings with Dixon, almost the entire time. I think something else is going on, we might find out in the briefing later, so nothing to do now."

"Well I can think of a whole lot of things to do. Though I highly doubt they'd be appreciated," Rory added with a sly smile.

"Your mind is seriously in the gutter today."

"I'm blaming it on you and last night," she said softly. "And don't tell me yours isn't in the gutter too!"

"Yeah well, I wouldn't lie to you."

"Of course not." Rory pulled her chair a little closer to his desk deciding to get down to business and review their cases. "Did you make any progress in the Vasquez murders in Argentina?"

Slightly disappointed at Rory's change in attitude, Zack tried not to let it show as he searched his stack of files and located the correct one. "Yes. We connected it to the Columbian Cartel and Robert Constacia, but that was where it ended.

"What about Vasquez' PDA? Did tech ops crack the password?"

"Yes, but everything is encoded. Mitchell says he can do it, but it'll just take some time, probably a few more days.

"Well then I guess I sure didn't miss a lot," she said sarcastically and leaned back in her chair. Although it was good the criminals were taking a break and they didn't have any new cases, it did make life at the CIA rather dull.

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully for Zack and Rory but for Will Tippin it was a slightly different story.

He'd spent all morning behind closed doors with Dixon, Jack, Weiss and Vaughn, recounting his story from the day Sydney showed up on his doorstep with their six month old daughter while he was in witness protection to the day before when he'd found out that Rory was a part of the CIA. Surprisingly no one seemed to be angry with him, well with the exception of Jack that was. Even Vaughn treated him like an old friend who had just lost touch for a short while. Jack however, had good cause; Rory was the only thing that remained of his own daughter.

Will was on the run since Sydney died. Once he'd received word that she'd been killed, he'd grabbed their then eight-month-old daughter and left the country going first to France, then Italy, Germany, Austria and finally Switzerland, never staying in the same country for more than three months. Each country brought a new identity for father and daughter, courtesy of an old contact of Sydney's. Once they'd moved back to the States when Rory was two, they became Rachel "Rory" Summerville and David Summerville.

Rory's name was always similar to the name her mother had given her as not to confuse her. From then on, they'd kept the same identities until Rory reached the age of six and they'd made the final change. Will had kept them moving every few months until Rory entered kindergarten in case anyone had been trying to find them. Only once had someone found them, at least Will had been sure that Irina Derevko had.

Rory had come home from school one day and announced that of all the six year olds in her first grade class, only she had been chosen for a special enrichment class. He'd checked it out thoroughly and been satisfied that the class was legitimate and in operation in all the other schools in the district. Twice a week Rory joined three other kids from the other first grade class for advanced math and language help. A month later, Rory began telling him about a dark haired pretty lady named Laura who came in to help in the class and asked about Rory and her dad.

The next afternoon his instincts told him to check up on Rory at school and through the open door he'd caught sight of a much older version of the Laura Bristow he'd seen in old photographs of Sydney's. That night he awakened his sleeping daughter from her bed and barefoot, still dressed in her pajamas and clutching her teddy bear, she'd watched as her father set fire to their house. That night the world believed that David and Rachel "Rory" Summerville burned to death in their beds and Jonah and Aurora Summers were born.

From then on, they moved every six months or so out of precaution, but still kept the same identity and they never had a problem again.

"Do you have any information on Derevko's current whereabouts?" Jack finally spoke after remaining silent since the start of the interview.

"No," he shook his head. "I can't even be a hundred percent certain that it was her. Rory was never alone with her and I never met her myself. I only saw her through the door." Will took a sip of water and looked at Jack. "Rory said that Irina killed Sydney?"

"Yes," Jack nodded emotion vacant from his face. "From what we were able to gather Sydney went rogue after she gave Aurora to you. She was investigating something to do with her mother. Irina put out a hit on her and Sydney was killed."

"How could she?" Will asked incredulously. "Sydney was her daughter."

"Derevko's motives have always been her own, but I imagine Sydney threatened her for some reason."

"When Sydney brought Rory to me, someone was following her and I left Witsec immediately. Sydney had given us new identities and the name of her contact. I took Rory to Vermont. Once I found out Sydney was gone, I was sure someone might come after us, well, Rory anyways. Sydney had seemed so concerned that they would come after Rory, though I don't suppose I understood her paranoia. I'm not sure that I believed her entirely though I did what she asked, and I guess she was right."

"Why did you change your identities back to Aurora and Jonah the last time?" Dixon asked referring to Aurora's real first and middle name and Jonah, the name Will had taken when he entered Witsec.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I decided not to go with Sydney's contact that had helped us before incase he had been turned…in case he gave up our location to Derevko. I went with an old contact I obtained when I was an analyst. I guess I just hoped it would be the last time. I was running out of names for Rory and she was beginning to get curious, to remember things. Maybe the most obvious was the least obvious." Will set his hands palm down on the table. "I picked Katherine Johnson for Sydney for old time's sake I guess."

"That was stupid," Vaughn said bluntly. "You were lucky. Luck is all that prevented Derevko from finding you again."

"Well we were lucky," Will shrugged off Vaughn's comment. "But Rory's here, with me, and that's all that matters. She said you saved her life," his gaze cast back to Jack. "Thank you."

"She saved mine," he replied nonchalantly as if either act was a common occurrence.

Will nodded quickly and accepted the fact that Jack Bristow was never a man to give or accept praise easily. He changed the subject quickly. "Who is after my daughter?"

"That subject is off limits," Jack's voice, with an edge of animosity, declared that there was no point in arguing further, but that didn't prevent Will from trying.

"She's my daughter, Jack."

"You are not cleared to be in this building and any information regarding current cases is confidential regardless of your connection to an employee." His voice rose in degree of sound and in anger. Jack Bristow was not accustomed to such disregard for his authority.

"Then reinstate me!"

Will's fist came down hard on the table and Weiss jumped slightly in his seat. This was a new Will Tippin, not the one he remembered from all those years ago. His years spent as Jonah, David, Sam, Robert and all his other alias' had turned him from the pacifist Weiss remembered, into the angry man who stood before them today.

"Rory is my daughter and I intend to do whatever I need to keep her safe."

Jack recognized the determination in Will Tippin's eyes. Every man in the room did and he knew it would be useless to prevent Will's reinstatement, but more productive to encourage and help it along. "We will discuss your future with the agency at a later time," Jack responded briskly and showed Will two photographs. "Do you recognize either of these men?" he asked.

Will studied each one closely, his eyes crinkling up in the corners as he squinted at the pictures. Finally, he pushed them back to Jack with a shake of his head. "They both look pretty average to me, could be anyone."

Jack took note of Will's self-restraint to inquire about exactly whom the men were and decided that it was time to end the lengthy interview. Knowing Rory as he did, he knew his granddaughter would be beside herself with worry at how long it was taking and Tippin was exhausted.

"Tippin?" Jack called his name and waited until the others had left before finally glancing up at him and speaking. "Have you given any thought to reconnecting with your family?"

"A lot actually," he admitted. "But as much as I might want to see them, I don't think it's the best idea. I don't want to put them in any danger."

"Good, then we agree." Jack stood and gathered his files.

"How are they? If you know?" Will asked casually not really expecting any information.

"They're good," Jack shrugged. He seemed a little uncomfortable but it didn't dissuade him from giving an accurate response. "Your parents retired and they both moved to LA a few years after you left. Your sister has been married three times, though this last one has been the longest, nine years."

"Why doesn't that surprise me," he smiled slightly still very aware of the pain he had gone through when he'd left his family to enter Witsec. His family had thought for the last twenty odd years that he was dead; to change that knowledge now could destroy whatever chance they might have.

Jack noticed Rory waiting anxiously outside the conference room and called her in.

"So how did it go?" she asked nervously, feeling the awkward tension in the room.

"Just fine," Will shrugged and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Jack cleared his throat before speaking. "Your father will be applying for a reinstatement, providing he passes the psych evaluations, I see no reason why he won't be returning to analysis within a few days."

"What?" Rory asked shocked at what she was hearing. "Dad, are you sure you want to do that?"

"As sure about anything as I've ever been." Will resisted the urge to tuck a lock of stray hair behind his daughter's ear, an action he'd done since she was a child but at that moment in front of Jack, it seemed quite inappropriate. "It's time Rory, just like you said, time to move on."

Rory nodded and looked across at Jack. "Is he free?" she asked. "I want to take him to lunch, you too."

"He is yes," Jack nodded and picked up his files. "Thank you for the invitation, but I have some business I need to take care of, another time perhaps."

"Sure," she nodded. "Will you be at the briefing this afternoon?"

"Yes," Jack nodded, walking toward the door. "Mr. Tippin, I'll need to see you this afternoon for your psych evaluation. Until the results of those become available you will have access to this facility under level 1 security clearance, no computer access, and you will need to log in an out with security." Jack gave them both a slight nod of his head before leaving the room.

"Will Zack be joining us?" Will asked casually and tucked an arm around her waist giving her a quick hug.

"No, he has a meeting," she said softly hoping the disappointment she felt wasn't evident in her voice. "Dad, has he always been like that? Has he always been so cold?"

"Jack… your grandfather is a difficult man," Will explained a while later as they sat drinking coffee on a park bench after finishing lunch at an outdoor café. "I don't believe that he's known a lot of happiness in his life. When your mom was young, before her mother died, I believe he was happy, but Irina Derevko's betrayal left him distant, suspicious, and hurt beyond what even I could imagine.

"He wasn't a horrible father to your mom. He was never neglectful at meeting her basic needs and providing for her wants, but emotionally he never connected with her. I was always close with my family and it hurt me to see your mom like that. Even at our graduation, he didn't seem happy for her. I'm sure he was though, even if he didn't show it."

"Were they ever close?"

"Not like you and I," Will shook his head in response, "but in their own way, after Sydney learned the truth about SD-6, they did have some sort of relationship.

"I wish she was here," Rory said softly studying some college age students playing a terrible game of Frisbee.

"I do too." Will squeezed her hand and then tapped her cheek with his finger asking her to look at him. As she turned to face him, he could see the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Your mom would be so proud of you."

"Even though I joined the agency?"

"Especially so, though I doubt she'd ever admit it," he added with a grin. His tone turned serious moments later. "Being an agent is probably the hardest job anyone could have. Not because of the risks you take, or the dangerous people you are up against, but because you are asked to compromise your beliefs, your opinions, yourself, for the sake of your country." Will hesitated slightly not entirely sure if he wanted to go in this direction but he chose to do so, figuring it was better to be honest.

"Rory, I know what your job entails, what kinds of things you do to get it done. I saw your mom in action, I know what she did, and I believe Vaughn when he says that you're just as good as she was. I know you are, because you are just like your mother. The fire, determination, loyalty…you have always taken after your mother more than me. Maybe that's what scares me."

"What do you mean?"

"I know the lengths your mom went to for her job, the things that she did and I won't lie by saying that I wanted you to sacrifice yourself in that way. You're still so young. At the end of the day, no matter how many bad guys are left standing, it's still just a job and you're still my daughter. I don't want to see you lose yourself."

"Dad, I know you're worried but I won't…"

"You can't promise me that Rory. This job will consume every fiber of your life; every action you take will be dictated by what they ask of you. Not every choice you have will ever be truly a choice. It's not even so much a job, but a way of life. You may not see it now, but I do already. I may not like it, in fact, it kills me that you're in it, but I respect that you made a choice and this life is what you chose. I'd never ask you to give it up. I can't protect you from it anymore, but I'd never ask you to choose between it and me. You're my daughter Aurora, and I love you."

Rory discreetly wiped her eyes and swallowed hard. She was feeling slightly relieved, but even more so guilty that she was putting her father through this. He had sacrificed everything to keep her safe for so many years and she was literally throwing it in his face despite his statement that he would never ask her to choose.

"There's something I've been wondering, about you and mom," she began her voice unsteady with apprehension. "I always thought you were married, but… I guess not, did you…? I mean do you…"

"Did I love her?" Will took a deep breath and let it out slowly allowing him a few brief moments to gather his thoughts. He had been expecting this question for quite some time.

"I won't lie to you Rory, your mom and I were only together one time," he said honestly, "and that was when you were conceived." Will wrapped her into a brief hug and kissed the top of her head. "I remember literally word for word what I said to her when I found out what she did and what SD-6 was. She was like you, so afraid that the lies and the deception were too much and that I'd never talk to her again. She was angry that I hadn't listened when she told me to leave SD-6 alone. I didn't blame her for that of course but I said to her, "I don't love you because of what you do, or what you don't do. I just love you.""

"But… you weren't in love with her?"

"No," he shook his head sadly. "There was a point that I thought I was, but I soon realized that I wasn't. Your mom was my best friend. I couldn't ask for more than that."

"I guess I'm just like any kid whose parents aren't together," she laughed slightly. "Thinking that their parents loved each other and had things been different they would have been together. Other things make sense now; I see things that I didn't before. You always told me how much you loved my mom and I never doubted it." She gave him a half-hearted smile and stared down at her fingernails as she spoke. "What I wasn't listening to, or maybe didn't want to believe was how you were saying it. You always said you loved her, but you never said you were in love with her."

"Just because I wasn't with Sydney, does not mean that either she or I loved you any different. You were her world, and leaving you with me, though it was the right thing to do, it broke her heart."

"Thank you." Rory turned on the bench and gave her father a hug. "Thank you for telling me about her." They sat in silence, watching the Frisbee game played across the field.

xxxxxx

The man frowned as he examined at a carved indent in the mahogany wood of the desk. It would have to be replaced, as a repair would not be worth the hassle. His pant legs swished quietly as he walked round it and sat in the executive leather chair and crossed his arms over his chest waiting.

"Didn't expect to see you so soon." His associate entered the room and quickly shut the door behind him.

"Have too much time on your hands?" the man commented. "Been playing with knives?"

"It's just a desk, mate, it can be replaced."

"A very expensive desk need I remind you. However, a damaged desk is the least of our worries about the moment." He waited until his associate had seated as well before passing him a file. "I received this information from a contact in LA."

The associate quickly skimmed the report his eyes widening, "you're sure?"

The man swirled his drink a few times before draining the amber liquid from a glass. "I completely doubt Will Tippin came to LA for a social call. They know who she is, or at least she does," he said referring to Rory. "This changes things."

"Well that's a bloody understatement." The associate poured himself a glass of scotch and downed it quickly.

"We have to assume that they know," the man began. "Taking her now won't give us anything. With this new information, she'll be off her guard." He tapped a pen lightly as he thought. "We're moving our timetable up. They may identify us sooner than we thought…if they haven't already. We're skipping phase two and continuing directly to phase three."

"She'll contact him that soon?" The associate asked curiously.

"She won't be able to help herself. " The man's smile widened as he leaned back in his chair, a sinister glint in his eyes. "All we have to do is just sit back and wait for her to make the first move.

She doesn't stand a chance!"

17


	15. Part Fourteen: The Promise

**Illusion of Sin  
Part 14: The Promise**

Rory held the door open for her father as they both entered the briefing room. Will had spent nearly three hours with Jack in a seemingly endless round of tests and questions for his psych evaluation. Finally, Dixon had Will's security clearance reinstated and he returned to his status as an analyst assigned to work with Zack and Rory on their team. It was surprising at how quickly everything had happened, though logical considering the pull both Jack and Dixon possessed within the agency.

"Dad," Rory touched his arm bringing his attention to her. "There's someone I want you to meet."

"His initials wouldn't be Z.W. would they?" Will whispered teasingly in her ear as they walked towards him.

"Be nice." She whispered back. "Dad, I want you to meet a friend of mine, this is my partner Zack Weiss." Rory began the introduction hoping for the best, though she was sure her father would like Zack just as much as he did his father. "Zack, this is my dad Will Tippin."

"It's great to finally meet you Sir. Rory talks about you all the time."

Will shook Zack's outstretched hand firmly. "All good things I hope," he said with a laugh. "It's nice to see you again Zack, though you are quite a bit older than I remember"

"All good things of course," Zack reassured him with a smile.

The two sat down at the table with Rory between them and the two men quickly lapsed into an easy conversation as Zack brought Will up to date on the LA Kings.

"Will, if I'm not mistaken, you still owe me twenty bucks for our bet," Vaughn interrupted and sat down beside him. "The Kings beat the Leafs for the Stanley Cup, the year you left."

"Correct," Will agreed. "But it has been twenty three years. Isn't there such a thing as faking your death, bet forgiveness?"

"I think we'll need to discuss it at the game tonight," Vaughn shrugged good-naturedly. "Kings versus the Red Wings; you in?"

"Sure," he nodded slowly.

"Good. Weiss is coming too, but apparently, Zack over there has more important things to do than hang out with his uncle and his old man. Makes me wonder what his big plans are."

"I don't think I want to know," Will said knowingly taking a quick glance at Zack and Rory who were deep in conversation.

Vaughn laughed at his comment, quite aware that the thought of Rory and Zack together unsettled Will just as much as it did Weiss. "They seem happy," he said quietly leaning closer to Will so their conversation wouldn't be heard. "I've never seen Zack look the way he does when he's with Rory; she makes him happy. It wasn't easy for either of them to make the decision."

"Well I guess she has more of her mother in her than I thought, though she has always been circumstantial about rules. When she was little, she always did what she thought was right regardless of the consequences."

Vaughn smiled at Will's reference to Sydney when she'd gone against the rules to be with him. "She's a good kid Will," Vaughn said softly. "You did a good job with her."

"Thanks, but Vaughn, if things had been different… well, I wish you hadn't found out about her the way you did."

"It was a long time ago Will." Vaughn turned in his chair to face the other man. "I loved Sydney, and she's been gone a long time, but I still miss her. I don't have anything against you or her. Rory is the best of Sydney and of you. I won't lie by saying it didn't hurt when I found out about Rory, it did. I wish she'd have come to me before she left, but Sydney did what she needed to do to keep her daughter safe and she did what was right for her, and for Rory. She made the right decision."

Will nodded his thanks, finding that words wouldn't come easily. The thing he feared the most about coming back to LA, wasn't Jack or facing the CIA; it was Vaughn. Facing Vaughn and knowing that he was not the father of Sydney's child when rightfully he should have been was difficult. When Sydney left LA, she'd done so with only a quick goodbye to Vaughn and with her, she carried the secret that she was pregnant with another man's child. As she later told Will, leaving Vaughn and not telling him the truth nearly broke her heart. She was pregnant with Will's child, but her heart was with Vaughn.

Weiss and Marshall were the last to enter and once they were there, Dixon began the briefing by officially welcoming Will back to the CIA and to their team.

"Alright let's begin," Dixon typed a few commands into his computer and an image appeared on the computer screens. "Agent Summ- Rory," he said finally. "We now know who is after you and who Byron Richards, Andrei Slother and the shooter in Paris were working for.

Rory looked up at the screen in which a picture of their mystery shooter in Paris was displayed. "Who is it?"

"It's The Tryst." Jack answered. "They are a relatively quiet organization. They deal mostly in weapons, drugs, blackmail, and trading military secrets, but were responsible for several terrorist bombings over the last six years."

"Who is that?" Will asked, nodding to the projection screen.

"Rory and I were on assignment in Paris," Zack explained. "We were sent to retrieve information on The Tryst during a party and everything was going fine until a shooter opened fire in the middle of the ballroom. It was that man. He killed seven innocent people and grabbed Rory. He knew our names, knew exactly who we were. He took the information and let us go."

"Do you know who he is?"

"His name is Daniel James." Jack answered.

"That doesn't sound familiar at all," Zack said. "Should it?"

"No," Dixon shook his head. "However, it did lead us to who we think one of the leaders of the organization is. Daniel James is twenty-eight years old. His mother Moira James was killed in an automobile accident when he was eleven and he spent much of his life at a boarding school in Edinburgh."

"What's his connection to The Tryst?" Rory asked.

"His father is Simon Walker." Jack stated.

"Simon Walker?" Vaughn asked incredulously. "The Simon Walker you killed?"

"Recent evidence has confirmed that Simon Walker is in fact alive." Jack changed the picture on the computer screens to one of Walker. "This was taken two days ago in Mexico City."

"They just keep coming back and procreating themselves," Vaughn sighed and slapped his file shut.

"Who is Simon Walker?" Rory asked unaware of the history he held with the agency.

"Rory, you told us that Andrei Slother said his boss wanted to settle an old score," Dixon began. "That old score was likely to do with your mother. Sydney went undercover in his group in order to stop them from obtaining a biological weapon. When Walker found out she was CIA and that Jack who had just made a deal with him was her father, he tried to kill Jack, but he shot him first."

"I wasn't able to stay long enough to ensure he was dead," Jack finished.

"So Walker's behind all of it?" Weiss asked, noting that Jack and Dixon had left out the parts about Sydney's alias being Julia Thorne, and stabbing Vaughn. "Taking Rory, surveilling her, turning Richards and Andrei Slother."

"I don't believe he's in it alone," Jack shook his head. "Walker doesn't have the drive to take it to this level; there is someone else above him, but who… we don't know."

"Who would carry a grudge for twenty years, it's just... sad," Rory's voice trailed off as she gazed at the picture of Simon Walker on the screen. "To exact revenge using me," Rory turned to face Jack. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"It makes perfect sense Aurora," Jack responded and began to help his granddaughter fit the pieces together in her mind. "You are a good agent, descended from one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I'm not saying that because she was my daughter, I'm saying it because it is the truth. The revenge Simon Walker is seeking would be against me; to turn an agent against me and then learn that she was my granddaughter; it's the ultimate revenge."

"Do they know that we know?" Will asked.

"It's possible," Dixon answered. "However, at this point, we don't know anything for sure."

Will stood and walked towards the screen studying the picture of Simon Walker as he processed the information he had learned. This man was responsible for endangering the life of his daughter. He turned back to the others. "How do we get him?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_The dawn is breaking  
A light shining through  
__You're nearly waking  
__And I'm tangled up in you  
_

_I'm open, you're closed  
__Where I follow, you'll go  
__I worry I won't see your face  
__Light up again_

Zack rolled onto his side and reached across the bed to find that Rory wasn't there. He sat up slowly listening for a sound from her; there was none. Her clothes were still scattered about his bedroom in the various places they had been tossed. Slipping on a pair of boxers, he stood and padded down the hallway. The apartment held an eerie silence that seemed to permeate through his entire body. To him not even the sounds of the ticking clock could be heard.

Zack spotted her as he entered the kitchen. Through the glass patio doors, he saw her, dressed in one of his shirts, sitting on the ground amongst the damp blades of grass. He grabbed a blanket off the couch and slid open the doors.

_Even the best fall down sometimes  
__Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
__Out of the doubts that fills my mind  
I somehow find  
__You and I collide_

Rory startled slightly as Zack slipped the blanket around her shoulders. "Are you alright?" he asked softly

Rory didn't respond right away and Zack knelt behind her rubbing her shoulder slightly.

_I'm quiet you know  
__You make a first impression  
__I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind_

Rory reached up and gripped his hand before turning her head so she could see him. He could see that despite the tears on her face, her eyes were full of anger.

"She's going to pay, Zack," Rory whispered through clenched teeth. "I swear to God, I don't care how long it takes, or what I have to do."

Rory eye's finally met his.

"Irina Derevko is going to pay for murdering my mother."

_Even the best fall down sometimes  
__Even the stars refuse to shine  
__Out of the back you fall in time  
__I somehow find  
__You and I collide_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The note said to meet him on the roof; it had been on her desk when she'd arrived that morning.

It had been two long weeks since finding out, she was really Aurora Bristow Tippin and Rory was still trying to come to terms with who she was. Presently, she remained Aurora Summers, and her father Jonah Summers having decided it best not to reclaim their true identities.

Zack seemed agitated as Rory watched him pacing back and forth oblivious to her presence. She took off her sunglasses and brushed the hair from her face tucking it behind her ear. "Hey," she said softly.

Zack stopped suddenly and came towards her finally realizing that she was there. Rory reached her hand to his cheek and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, but Zack caught her hand pushing it down.

"What is it? What's happened?" she asked alarmed.

"I did it," he whispered softly, his hand falling to his side. "I found her."

"You found her, found who?" Rory's eyes grew wide as she realized what Zack was talking about. "You found Irina?"

"I found how to get to her," Zack answered. He ran a hand through his hair feeling obviously conflicted about what he'd done in order to obtain the information.

"What?"

"I found Julian Sark."

A/N Like? Please Review


	16. Part Fifteen: Back to the Beginning

Illusion of Sin  
Part 15: It all comes back to the beginning.

Zack watched Rory's video feed. His hands gripped the fabric of his jeans leaving sweaty handprints on his knees. He talked to her, telling her about the hockey game last night. The Kings won 4-3; it was a close game. He wasn't sure whose nervousness he was trying to ward off more, Rory's or his own.

In order to get the information on Sark's whereabouts, Zack had gone outside the agency. He paid a high price to get the information. He used his discretionary fund, but he knew there were bound to be questions and disciplinary action. The contact he used was not one he'd ever notified the CIA of having. They would consider the information unreliable. Somehow, he seemed blind to consequences when Rory was concerned.

Rory was waiting in the next warehouse over for Sark to show up with the associate he was meeting. The plan was for Rory to observe the meeting and gain any information she could on Sark. Once Zack could see the license plate of Sark's car, he would assign a satellite tracker so they could monitor his position and then make their move. Sark was the key to getting to Irina. Rory was determined to make her pay for having Sydney murdered.

"Black limo coming in."

A few minutes later Zack alerted Rory to the presence of another car.

"Holy shit," he whispered seeing Sark's associate step out of the car. It was Irina Derevko. "Rory, be careful." The remote microphone, he'd planted at the warehouse only offered limited sound capabilities. Sark and Derevko kept their voices low and it was difficult to hear anything at all.

Zack couldn't see much of Rory. She was hiding behind a stack of crates but as she stepped forwards, he saw her fall. Her head hit the concrete and the direct video feed went out. The video feed was out and he couldn't see anything anymore, but the remote mic was still functioning and he heard the scuffle of the guards as Rory was discovered and apprehended.

"Rory, can you hear me?" there was no response. "If you can hear me, stay silent if you're okay and cough once if you've been captured."

She coughed.

Oh God. Her words replayed in his mind. The ones she'd spoken that morning when they woke up. She made him promise not to interfere if something went wrong. When he'd made that promise, it was one he knew he would break immediately if anything went wrong.

Fuck. They identified her as CIA.

"Damn it Rory," he swore aloud as he listened to Rory challenging Sark. "Don't piss him off." The next thing he heard shocked the hell out of him.

Sydney Bristow was alive.

"I'm coming." He wasn't sure if he even said the words aloud. He tore the headset off dropping it to the floor and severing their connection. He grabbed a second gun. He checked the ammo and took off to help Rory.

He was silent as he entered the warehouse; his arm outstretched. The gun pointed at Sark. Rory was his single focus. She was in danger.

He saw the guard turn in his direction.

Rory screamed.

The guard fired. He fired back.

He went down hard. He tried to keep his eyes open, searching for Rory. He couldn't. The pain seared in his chest.

Zack heard Rory screaming his name. He tried to tell her he was okay. He tried to find her with his eyes, but he couldn't force them open.

He felt her beside him. Her hands pressed on his chest, her voice asking questions he couldn't answer.

"Why weren't you wearing a vest?" she asked tearfully.

Why wasn't he? He forgot. He had to get to her. He forgot to put it on. His eyes blinked open. The light hurt. They closed. Rory was pleading with Sark and Derevko; pleading for his life.

He fought to open his eyes.

Tires squealed. Sark was gone. Derevko was gone.

His vision protested against the bright light, but he kept them open. Rory cradled his head in her lap. Her hand pressed against his chest. She kissed his cheek.

"I told you to stay away," she sobbed. "Why didn't you listen, you stupid, stupid man?"

His eyelids fluttered. "I had to do something," he whispered through gurgled breaths. "I couldn't let them hurt you."

"God, Zack," She pressed her lips to his forehead.

"You need to find her, Rory. You need to find your mother." He closed his eyes. "I've got one for you," he smiled slightly forcing them again. "Victory belongs to those who believe in it the most and believe in it the longest."

Rory forced a smile. "That's an easy one, Col. Doolittle, Pearl Harbor, 2001."

He smiled back, "just keeping you on your toes. That's you Ror, you're victory" He began coughing up blood and Rory turned his head to the side so he wouldn't choke. "There's something you need to know, if I don't make it…," he whispered.

"Don't talk like that," Rory shook her head. "You're going to be fine. Besides if you're gone, who am I going to watch spy movies with and agonize over their unrealistic plots?"

"I love you," he whispered seriously through choked breaths.

"Zack you-"

"I love you," he repeated his dark eyes large as he struggled to continue breathing. "I know what I'm saying Ror, I need you to know that."

"I understand," she nodded threading her fingers through his hair. "You're going to be okay, you have to be okay." Leaning over she pressed her lips to his and using all the strength he had left Zack kissed her back.

Reluctantly Rory pulled away and kissed his nose. She watched as his eyes closed and he lost consciousness. His breathing slowed.

"Zack, please hang on. Don't leave me. Not like this Zack please not like this."

She was quite the sight. Barefoot, tangled dark hair, red swollen eyes, a split lip, and two large bruises forming on her cheekbone and forehead were only the beginning. Her shirtsleeve was torn off at the shoulder and her arm was wrapped in thick gauze and plaster. The blood had seeped through her black sweater. When the doctors cut it off, her white t-shirt was stained red. Blood was already beginning to seep through the bandage on her arm, and it remained partially on her face and hands.

Her arm in a sling, she walked quickly down the corridors. Instantly spotting Eric Weiss' worried face, she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. She was the cause for his anguish. She had put his son's life in danger. She ignored Director Dixon's questions and walked straight to her father and grandfather who were deep in conversation.

"You lied to me," she accused them not even taking a second glance at their shocked faces. "Mom's alive, I have proof, you lied to me, and now I know the truth." Rory shouted the words not even caring who heard. She wanted so desperately to force as much pain onto them as she was feeling. Tears fell freely down her cheeks and to look at her, she was that of a broken woman. A broken woman so far damaged, one could wonder if there was even a chance for repair. Rory threw the pictures at them. Jack tried to catch them, but he was far too surprised and the photographs, stained with the blood of Zackary Weiss spilled onto tiled floor. Jack bent and picked one up; holding it between his fingertips his eyes met hers.

Rory's gaze reverted back and forth between her father and grandfather. She watched as her father, numbly took the photograph from Jack's hand, his mouth open in surprise, and the color drained from his face. That was when it hit her and she realized the truth. "You didn't know Mom was alive," she whispered her voice broken off by a sob. She turned to Jack. "But you did."

Her tearful blue eyes were filled with the hurt and anguish only betrayal could bring and as Jack looked into them, he was reminded of his own daughter 25 years earlier. There was a wild terrified look in those eyes. The blood from her fiancée covered her body, face, and hands. The betrayal, she'd felt when he'd told her the truth about SD-6. Betrayal was such a common theme for their family. "Aurora-"

"Don't you Aurora me." She spat the words from the tip of her tongue as if they were distasteful and bitter. "How could you do it, Grandfather? How could you keep that from me? She's my mother. She's the only thing I've ever wanted in this world and you kept her from me."

"Sweetheart, it's going to be okay," her father finally spoke, his words pulling her away from the anger she felt. "We'll find her, I promise you." He spoke numbly. His words seemed hollow and insincere as if he didn't really believe them himself. He was cut short as a doctor in hospital scrubs exited the operating room. "Stay here," he ordered her and she obeyed standing next to her grandfather as they watched the doctor speak with Eric. Her father stood beside his friend, a hand on his shoulder offering any emotional support he could give as the fate of Eric's son was revealed.

"This isn't as clear cut as you may think," Jack said softly staring straight ahead. "There are circumstances that you can not even begin to understand-"

"And the cost?" she couldn't even look at him. "Was it worth it? Was it high enough? How can I believe anything you say to me ever again?"

"She is not the woman you want to know. This was done for your protection."

"That was my decision to make. Mine. Not yours. Your words are nothing to me."

It wasn't the words or even the cold way in which she said them, but the look in her eyes, it was look of disappointment and deep sadness that hurt Jack the most.

Rory stood unmoving as her father turned back to her. He took several steps and then stopped, looking as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"What is it?" she asked fearfully. "Is Zack going to be okay?"

He opened his mouth but no words came out and all he could do was hold open his arms. She flew into them, whispers of questions that went unanswered. Will Tippin, could do nothing, but hold her in his arms and thank God that his daughter safe. She might never be able to trust him again, after what he had to tell her, but she was alive and that was all that mattered. His daughter meant more to him than life itself. He would die for her.

"Daddy?"

Will looked over the top of Rory's head. Weiss had collapsed into a chair. Vaughn knelt beside him as the doctor continued to talk.

"Daddy? Is Zack going to be okay?"

Will guided her to a chair kneeling down in front of her. "He made it through surgery, but he's bad Rory. The bullet punctured his lung and the second nicked his heart. The doctors repaired the damage but…"

"But?"

"They're not holding a lot of hope."

"No, I can't lose him."

Will wiped her cheeks. "He lost a lot of blood Rory. His heart stopped during the surgery and his brain was deprived of oxygen."

Rory could barely breathe. "What are his chances?"

"Right now, about twenty five percent, more if he makes it through the night."

"He has to!" Rory struggled to get herself under control. Everything just seemed to be slipping away from her. "Can I see him?"

"Not yet." Will wiped her cheeks once more. "Not now, maybe later, but you're not immediate family."

"I need to see him. I need to tell him I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"Rory, he's in a drug induced coma, to give his body time to heal. The doctors don't know when he'll wake up, or if he'll wake up."

Will didn't want to hurt his daughter, but she needed the truth. She couldn't hold on to hope if it didn't exist.

"God," her voice trembled. "How did this get so screwed up?" Rory tried to move her arm out of the sling, but she couldn't, she felt so weak. She looked over at Weiss. "You have to tell him, I can't… tell him I'm sorry. This is all my fault. We were just going to track Sark, see where he went, and wait until he was alone."

"Why didn't you go through proper channels?" Jack's voice was brusque.

"You wouldn't have sanctioned the surveillance. We couldn't even get information on Sark through the CIA."

"How did you?" Weiss' voice broke through. It trembled a he struggled to control his emotions.

"I . . . I'm sorry," she whispered to Weiss.

"How?"

"I don't know. Zack got the information; he told me not ask where. He wasn't proud of what he did I know that. He did it for me." Rory looked at Weiss. She expected to see hatred in his eyes, but she didn't. "We were just going to track Sark and wait until he was alone. We thought he could lead us to Derevko. I thought she had my mother murdered; I wanted her to pay. We didn't know Irina would be there. We didn't know my mom was alive."

"It's true?" Vaughn's question was directed at Jack, having heard Rory's accusations.

"Yes." Jack crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why?" Vaughn could literally feel his heart being ripped apart.

"It was a ruse." Rory's voice was flat. "Everyone had to believe she was dead, including us. Derevko said that it was the only way we all could be safe, if everyone thought she was gone."

"She's out there somewhere."

"Yes." Rory's voice seemed cold. "Somewhere."

"Mr. Weiss," the doctor interrupted them. "Your son is in the ICU now. You can see him."

Weiss stood without another word and followed the doctor to be with his son.

"Are you sure?" Vaughn asked Rory. She passed him a photograph and he could see she was telling the truth. The photo was dated a year ago. Sydney sat at a table in an outdoor café. Her hair was different; it was long and blond, but her eyes were the same. She was older, time would do that to a person, but still as beautiful as the last day he saw her, the day she said goodbye.

Sydney Bristow was alive. It had taken twenty-one years for them to learn the truth; but for Rory it had taken a lifetime.

"I need to speak to my daughter, alone."

Rory looked up at her father. He held her hand, his fingers gripping hers.

Will waited until the others had left then knelt before his daughter once again. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "It's just my arm and Zack… Dad, I can't loose him."

"It'll be alright," he smoothed her hair back from her face. "I'm sure he'll pull through."

"He has to; I can't do this without him." Her gaze shifted briefly to her grandfather. He stood off to the side being bombarded with question after question from Michael Vaughn. "I won't forgive him for this, no matter what, not for this. "Dad, he told me my mother was dead, he knew she was alive…"

"You're strong Rory." Will thumbed away a tear. "You have the most amazing capacity for forgiveness-"

"I can't, not this time." She looked back to Will. "I'm going to find my mother."

"I don't doubt that but you can't do it alone… you're all I have Rory. I can't loose you."

"Rory?" Weiss stood beside them. "You can see him now."

Rory stood. "Mr. Weiss, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault, Zack was never supposed to even be in the warehouse. I got caught, it's my fault."

Weiss shook his head not wanting to hear her apologies. "Go sit with him for a while, he needs you right now."

She nodded. Numbly her legs took her to the ICU and to the chair beside Zack's hospital bed.

He didn't look like the same person. His skin was pale with a yellowish tinge to it. A respiration tube kept him breathing. Machines monitored his heart rate, showing the results in a line graph on the display bar. Two bandages covered the bullet holes that had ripped through his body. Already, blood seeped through them and they needed to be changed.

Rory gazed at his lifeless form, wishing for all that was holy that she could trade places with him. He was the best thing in her life. It was killing her to see him like this.

"You can touch him."

Rory's head snapped up. A nurse stood behind her charting his vitals. "I don't want to hurt him."

"You won't." The nurse touched her shoulder guiding her to a chair at the head of the bed. "Talk to him, it'll help."

Rory wiped her eyes furiously determined not to loose control. Her fingers brushed over his several times before taking his hand. A sob caught in her throat and she laid her head on the edge of the bed, her shoulders heaving silently. She didn't know what to say, more than anything, she just wanted the horrible nightmare to be gone.

"I'd take it back if I could Zack," she whispered to him. "If it meant you'd be okay, I'd take it all back. I never would have agreed to go to that warehouse." Her fingers drifted to his hairline, toying with that lock of hair, which always seemed to curl on his forehead.

"You have to fight this. You're strong and good and it's too soon. This world isn't ready to be without you yet; I'm not ready." Her last words were barely audible, a mere whisper over the methodical beeping of life.

"Miss?" the nurse stood beside her. "He needs his rest. You can come back later."

Rory wanted to protest. She wanted to stay with him every moment of every day until he woke, but that would be impossible. She stood and pressed her lips to his forehead. "You fight this Zackary Weiss. Don't you dare give up on me." She leaned closer briefly kissing his unresponsive lips and whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you before. I love you too."

Will was waiting for Rory when she exited the ICU. She sat down on a plastic chair and he knelt at her feet. Will helped Rory slip on the running shoes Carrie had brought and tie the laces, which her broken arm prevented her from doing.

"Are you okay?" he asked helping Rory put her arms through the sleeves of a sweater.

Rory nodded. "He looks really bad, Daddy. His father must—"

"His father does not hate or blame you at all Rory," Will interrupted, "Zack makes his own decisions. Nobody could have talked him out of going after you." Will sat on the chair beside her. "Is that all?"

"Sark said something."

"What?" his breath was caught in his throat.

"He said…" Rory looked down at her hands barely able to say the words. "He said you weren't my father… he said he was. I know it's not true," she added quickly. "You would never keep anything like that from me… I just thought you should know."

Will swallowed hard. "Rory, I need to tell you…"

"What is it?"

"This isn't the best place to be doing this, hell… I never even thought it would come to this, or last this long, but…"

"What is it? What's wrong?" Rory's voice had a twinge of nervousness to it. Her father gripped the armrests of the chair so tightly, his knuckles were white.

Will took a deep breath and blurted it out quickly. "I'm not your father."

She wanted to laugh at the ludicrous notion of his statement, but she couldn't. Too much had happened in the past few hours not to question it. "What?"

"Sark was telling the truth." Will's voice wavered. "I'm not your biological father; he is."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth when you first told me you were CIA. I was afraid you knowing the truth would put you in danger, from him, from anyone. I guess I just hoped that ultimately it wouldn't matter."

"How could it not matter?" Rory stood. "You're not my father. How couldn't that matter? My father is a murderer! God, when will this stop!" Rory took off in the direction of the stairs. She took them two at a time running as fast as she could out of the hospital. Will called after her but she couldn't look back.

Tears blurred her eyes to the point where she could barely see the road in front of her. Her father's words echoed in her mind but he wasn't her father and at that moment, she'd never felt so alone in her entire life.

11


	17. Part 16: What is Blood Anyway?

A/N Just wanted to mention again that those who are on my PM list and didn't reply to the last chapter or this one, they will be taken off the list for the next one. The exception to this is if I know you are actually reading and only reply once in a while, I just want to cut off the people who are no longer reading so that I don't bother them with unwanted pm's etc… If I take you off and you're not supposed to be, then I'm sorry, please just ask for a pm again. Hope you all like this chapter and I look forward to reading your reviews.

Previously: Rory and Zack staked out Irina and Sark's meeting and got caught. They revealed Sydney was alive and Zack was shot. Jack knew Sydney was alive, but no one else did. Zack sleeps in a drug induced coma and is in critical condition. Will then confirms what Sark told Rory, Sark is her biological father.

Illusion of Sin

Part 16: What is blood anyway?

Vaughn slipped on his sunglasses and scanned the busy pier for Rory. It had been hours since she'd disappeared from the hospital. Will was worried, Jack was furious at Will, and Weiss was still at the hospital waiting for Zack to wake up. Vaughn had made the decision to find her on his own, knowing that she was likely to run from anyone else.

The pier was the fourth stop he'd made. He'd tried her original apartment, then the safe house where she'd been living for the last few months, the JTF and finally he made the difficult decision to check the pier. Zack had told him about meeting Rory there once and he decided to give it a shot.

Rory stood in the corner several feet away from a few young kids fishing with their father. From the distance, she reminded him so much of her mother. Vaughn didn't want to scare her so he stood several feet away and waited until she acknowledged his presence.

"Did my father send you?"

"He knows I'm looking for you, but he didn't send me." Vaughn turned leaning his back against the rail and tucking his hands in his pockets.

"Zack?"

"He hasn't woken yet."

Rory swallowed hard; the lump in her throat seemed to grow larger with each passing moment. "How did you find me?"

"Zack mentioned once that you liked the pier. Your mother did, and I decided to give it a shot."

"She did?"

"Sure," he nodded and moved closer to Rory. "It was one of her favourite spots."

"Where else?"

A strong breeze blew over Rory sending her hair into disarray and Vaughn had to turn away as she fixed it, tucking it back into place behind her ear. The knowledge that Sydney was out there, somewhere, made it that much more difficult to be near Rory. She was such a reminder to him of what he'd lost.

"She liked the train station, the observatory at the university, and this old carousel. Rory, your dad is worried about you."

"Which one?" she said with a bitter tinge to her voice.

"Your dad," Vaughn repeated. "Blood doesn't make Julian Sark a father any more than it makes me Zack's Uncle.

"I know." Rory kicked at the worn wooden ledge of the pier. "I think he's known for a long time, my dad I mean, his voice, just the way he said it. He should have told me."

"Maybe," Vaughn shrugged. "But he was scared; fear can overpower even the strongest of men."

Rory rested her cast on the railing taking some of the weight off her shoulder. "What could he possibly have been afraid of, that Sark would come and take me away or something? Somehow I doubt he's the fatherly type."

"He was afraid of loosing your love."

"He thinks I'd just stop loving him because he's not my real father?" Rory shook her head. "He knows me better than that."

"Maybe… maybe not."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that he's human, he's fallible, and he has doubts. He's spent nearly half his life isolated from the world always watching his back afraid someone might take you. Now, that threat is real, because you have a choice."

"Choice?"

Vaughn nodded, "a choice to pull away from him. He's given you a reason to be angry with him. He's just scared."

"I wouldn't do that." Rory turned her head to the side resting her cheek on her arm. "I just needed some time to think. Everything has happened so fast, I just need some time to figure it all out."

"It's a lot to take in all at once," Vaughn agreed. "Will you do something for me?"

"What?"

Vaughn held out his cell phone. "Just call Will, let him know you're okay."

After a few moments of staring at Vaughn's hand, Rory reached for the phone and punched Will's cell phone number.

"Vaughn?" Will's voice sounded frantic.

"No, it's me."

"Are you alright?" he asked, audibly breathing a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine," she said softly. "I'm sorry I ran off, I just needed some time."

"I know," Will took a deep breath listening to the silence on the other end of the phone. "You have to know that it wasn't easy to keep it from you, but I didn't want to hurt you and I was I afraid that you might want to look for him, and then you might get hurt."

"I just wish that it was you who had told me and not him."

"I know that was my mistake. When you get back, we can talk there are things I need to explain."

"I know. Is there any news on Zack?"

"I'm sorry sweetie, nothing yet."

"Okay," she said softly. "I'll be home in a while; I just need to think about some things for a while longer."

"I'll be waiting, bye sweetheart."

"Bye."

"Rory?" Will hesitated before speaking again unsure of what her reaction might be. "I love you."

She couldn't say the words, it hurt too much, "me too." She loved her father, but he had lied to her and it was so fresh in her mind that saying the words, just hurt too much.

Rory closed the phone and scanned the area for Vaughn. She spotted him on the other side of the pier, past the boardwalk. The sun was setting quickly mixing a mirage of colors against the glowing neon lights of the carnival rides.

She leaned back against the railing and handed Vaughn his cell phone. The Ferris wheel lights blurred as they circled before her eyes.

"Better?"

Rory nodded. "There's still no news on Zack."

"No news is good news," Vaughn said.

"You're probably right," she said blinking the tears from her eyes.

"Come stand over here," Vaughn beckoned her to the other side of him, "a little more to your left."

"Why right here?"

Vaughn smiled gently. "This is the exact spot where your mom was standing when she threw her beeper into the ocean, and I realized it was going to be very difficult, not to fall in love with her."

"Really?" Rory's hands gripped the railing lightly as she realized that her mother's hands had once touched the very same spot. She almost felt as if she could feel her mother's touch, some twenty-five years later. "Are you angry at her?"

"About you?" he questioned and Rory answered with a slight nod of her head. "Never. I can't say I haven't thought you should have been my daughter, but if you had, you wouldn't be the same person you are now. I think that if things had been different, your mom and I would have married and she would have brought you back to LA and we would have raised you together; but…"

"But?"

"But things aren't different and Will raised you. He's your father and I think he did a pretty good job."

"He did," Rory smiled. "He was always different than all the other moms and dads. Freer, and he is my dad, but…"

"He's not your father biologically," Vaughn finished.

"Maybe, I'm putting too much emphasis on blood," her gaze shifted the bandage on her shoulder, badly in need of being changed. "I know about Sark, I've read his file. I know what he's done, what he's capable of doing. But, I still never got the chance to know him, and that's probably a good thing, but maybe I missed out."

"Rory, the Sydney I knew, before she left, would not have been with Sark-"

"Are you saying he forced her?" Rory interrupted. "That I'm the product of a rape?"

"I didn't say that," Vaughn replied quickly. "All I'm saying is that we don't know the circumstances. When we find her, and we will find her," he continued, "then we'll find out what really happened."

"I wish it would be that easy," she said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Just something Irina said," she shrugged. "It was like she didn't know where my mom was, like something was wrong."

"What else did Irina say?"

"Nothing," Rory dodged his question.

"Tell me the truth."

"She said she'd contact me; that's all, I swear."

Vaughn nodded, his gaze shifting to the vast ocean spread out before them. "It's getting late, maybe you should go home, see your dad."

"I can't," she shook her head. "I need to see Zack first."

"Then see Zack, but don't ignore your father, it will only hurt you both in the end."

Rory nodded. "Thanks, for coming, for talking to me and telling me about my mother."

Vaughn's fingers brushed the hair off her cheeks and his hands framed her face. His lips lightly kissed her forehead, "you never need to thank me," he said softly. "I'll always talk to you about your mother. I loved her very much, I still do and I know I've said this before, but she would be so proud of you."

Rory's eyes filled with tears and this time she made no attempt to blink them away. "He told me that he loved me. Zack was lying there, bleeding everywhere and he told me that he loved me, but… I didn't say it back and if he dies-"

Vaughn's hands dropped to his sides slightly stunned at her confession. He took her hand in his, "do you love him?"

She nodded, "I think so."

Vaughn wiped away her tears with the tips of his fingers. "Then he knows, I promise you, he already knows."

"You think so?"

"I know so, now go."

Rory stopped outside Zack's ICU room, her hand pressed against the glass. It looked like there were more tubes attached to his body than before. He seemed so pale and lifeless surrounded by all the machines that kept him alive.

Weiss was slouched in the chair beside Zack's bed. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitors signalled that his son was alive, but looking at him, Zack seemed lost, floating somewhere in the unconscious world. He saw Rory, her hand pressed against the glass, and anxiety etched in the features of her face. She was so terrified and although he said he didn't blame her, he knew she didn't believe it.

"Rory," Weiss stood and walked to the door.

"How is he?" she whispered.

"He's holding his own," Weiss answered and took her arm gently leading her to the chairs a few steps away. "He's fighting."

"He hasn't woken up?"

"Not yet, but he will, you just have to believe that. How are you?" he asked.

"You know?"

"I do," he nodded.

"Did you know about Sark? Did my mother tell you?"

"No," he shook his head. "I promise you I didn't know." Weiss squeezed her hand; she seemed numb and withdrawn. "I could use a walk and a cup of coffee, could you sit with Zack for a while?"

"Of course."

"Talk to him," Weiss requested. "The doctor said it helps."

"Of course."

Rory entered Zack's room and sat on the chair beside his bed. He was so pale, so lifeless and it hurt her to see him like that. "Hi Zack," she said quietly and took his hand; it was cold. She swore she saw his eyes move beneath the lids, but maybe it was just wishful thinking. "I'm so sorry this happened, if I could trade places with you, it wouldn't even be a question."

Rory leaned down and rested her chin on the bed rail. Her hand reached up brushing the hair off his forehead. She checked to make sure he had a pulse; even though the machines signalled that he did, she needed to feel it for herself, to feel his life.

"I don't know why you weren't wearing your vest, I wish you had been, and then this never would have happened. You have to be okay, Zack; you just have to. I can't do this without you." Tears splashed down her cheeks and onto the cotton sheets covering Zack's body.

"I love you.

"Did you hear me?" she lowered her lips to his ear. "I said I love you. Now wake up and say it back; just three words…

"I love you."

Rory leaned heavily against the corridor wall and fished her ringing cell phone out of her purse one-handed.

"Rory?"

"Hi dad. Are you okay?" she asked hearing the concern in her father's voice.

"I'm fine, sorry, I was just getting worried, and I thought you'd be back a while ago."

"I sat with Zack for a while and I need to stop by work to sign some reports, I'll be home after that."

"You're avoiding me," Will said knowingly.

"I'm not," she protested. "I just have to get the reports done."

"It's alright honey, you're angry, I understand. You've been through a lot today, with Zack and Sark and finding out about your mom and about me. It's okay to be angry with me. You can yell, scream, whatever you want, just please don't shut me out."

"I'm not angry," she said quickly, though not at all convincingly. "Alright maybe I am," Rory slid down the wall and sat cross-legged on the floor. "A few weeks ago, you said that when my mom gave me to you, she told you that I was your daughter."

"That's the truth."

"Then when did you find out?"

"When you were two and a half, we were living in North Philly and we were at this mall when I realized someone was following us. I put you in the car, the man chased us and there was an accident. I lost control of the car and we hit a telephone poll. It scared the guy off, but you were hurt."

"I don't remember."

"You were only two Rory, you were a toddler. You're not supposed to remember."

"What happened?"

"The back window shattered and you were cut. You needed stitches and the nurse who was taking your history asked your blood type, but I didn't know. Before we left, she told me you were O-negative."

"Not exactly common."

"No," Will confirmed. "I knew the basics of genetics from High School. In order for a child to be O-negative, both her parents had to be as well, and I'm A-positive. It was impossible for me to be your father."

"Were you angry?" her voice trembled.

"Rory, I'd really rather not talk about this over the phone."

"Please?"

Will relented. "At first, I was just in shock; I think I stood in that hospital hallway for five minutes with you pulling on my arm. Then I was angry. I took you home and didn't say a word to you for a while and I remember being so angry with Sydney and then at myself for completely ignoring you. I hated her for lying to me and in turn to you and then looking at you reminded me of her."

"What did you do?" Rory asked in a small voice, wiping away her tears.

"I packed our stuff and we took a bus to New Jersey and then I got us a motel room in the city. I put you to bed and then I got really drunk and started dialling Jack's number at the JTF half a dozen times-"

"Were you going to leave me?"

"Rory … All I knew was that I was the one you called Daddy, and then all of the sudden I wasn't your dad and I was drunk and I started filling in the what ifs with suppositions. I reasoned with myself that the only other person who knew Sydney and could have been your dad, and who Syd would want you hidden from was Sark. Our eyes were similar and your ears definitely weren't from your mother and they weren't mine… your hair was bleach blonde until you were two. I didn't know what to think. I was angry because some nurse was telling me that you weren't mine, even after everything that we'd been through."

Will blinked the tears from his eyes and over the phone; he could hear Rory's breath shudder as she tried not to cry. "Please Rory, this is why I didn't want to talk about this over the phone, can we just wait and finish when you come home?"

"Okay, bye dad." Rory hung up the phone quickly and buried her face in her arm as she drew her legs up to her chest, not even caring about the strange looks she received from the hospital staff and visitors.

She'd never felt more alone and unwanted than she did at that moment.

It didn't take long for Rory to review the incident reports Dixon's secretary had typed up, make the changes and sign off on them. It was early evening and the staff had been reduced to the bare minimum, which she didn't mind at all. Some of them she didn't recognize and others she did, but there were far less people to ask how she was, or to ask after Zack.

"Agent Summers, can I see you in my office before you go please."

As soon as she'd spotted Jack she tried to avoid him, but was too late. She followed him into his office without question, but abandoned the somewhat friendly relationship she'd built with her grandfather.

"Whatever you have to say, I'm sure I don't want to hear it."

"Aurora," Jack began but she quickly interrupted him.

"You didn't tell me that my mother was alive, and I will never forgive you for that."

"What good would it have done?" Jack challenged, his tone of voice was cold and detached. "I've had suspicions for years and found nothing. I never believed Irina could have her own daughter killed, but every lead I pursued was a dead end. How would that knowledge have helped you?"

"It doesn't matter if it would have helped me; the point is that I had a right to know my own mother was alive."

"I didn't have any proof," Jack retorted. "What would that uncertainty have given you?"

"I don't know… knowledge that my mother didn't actually abandon me," Rory's eyes were wide with anger. "Hope."

"Hope?" Jack laughed bitterly. "I've had twenty one years of disappointed hopes, why would I burden you with even a day of them?"

"Because it was my decision to make!"

"If I had, you would have run off, full of fire and determination, not thinking clearly or strategically and would have gotten hurt; exactly what happened today, only it wasn't your life you endangered but your partner's. You think with your heart and not your head and someday it's going to get you killed. Agent Weiss is in critical condition because--"

"Because of me, don't you think I don't know that? Don't you think I blame myself for everything that happened?" Rory's voice dropped to lower tone. "But at least I have a heart." Rory took a deep breath. "Yours died, when Laura Bristow's car went off a cliff fifty years ago … if you ever had one to begin with."

Jack pursed his lips debating on whether or not to respond to Rory's last comment; he didn't. He opened his office door for her. "You can dislike me that is your choice; however you will do well to remember that I am your superior in this office and I am not required to justify my decisions to anyone but myself. That said I am doing what your mother would have wanted."

Rory left Jack's office and the door closed with a loud bang.

Rory took a deep breath before opening the apartment door.

"Dad?"

Rory balanced the pizza box on one hand and kicked the door closed with her foot. "Dad? I brought dinner."

The pizza box fell from her hand splattering pepperoni and sauce over the wood floors. A mirror was smashed in the hallway, a table overturned in the living room and droplets of dark red blood were splattered across the beige carpet.

"Daddy?" she stepped into the living room, he wasn't there. The apartment was empty. Her father was missing.

Her cell phone rang shrilly and it took a few moments for her to locate it.

"Hello?" her voice trembled and her eyes were full of unshed tears. She didn't recognize the voice.

"We have your father. We'll be in touch."

11


End file.
